


Forever My Star

by flamewhipper



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug Use, Drunk Sex, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mpreg, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Rape/Non-con, Segregation, Tags Contain Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:54:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamewhipper/pseuds/flamewhipper
Summary: In a world where things are changing and the human race is evolving, some people must learn how to hide his true identity or face the judgment and scrutiny of others.But when one boy's secret is forced into the forefront after one night, he must learn to live with the consequences.A whirlwind romance is about to unfold that must learn to get through hurdles, heartbreak, and learning to accept the hand that's dealt to them.Can they survive? Or will everything crumble and fall apart, never to be the same?
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Choi San, Jeong Yunho/Jung Wooyoung, Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Song Mingi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is another story that popped into my mind here recently that I just couldn't stop thinking about, so here I am haha. I hope you all enjoy!! Please pay attention to the tags. My writing isn't for everyone, and I understand that, but the tags are there for a reason. Don't like it? Then please don't read it. Thank you to all my readers for your support and I hope to continue bringing you amazing stories in the future!

_In a world where it was already a struggle to stand out or fit in, there were a few things that still singled out individuals in a way that could scar them for life._

_Things were constantly changing. After a rare disease came through that affected the fertility rate of women, the population rates drastically decreased._

_Now it was a war for survival, and yet, the world was still very much the same._

_College was a must, otherwise getting hired at a good job was impossible. Reputation was all based upon reviews and word of mouth. Money ruled all._

_All three were necessary for survival._

_But there was one thing that could force you to the bottom of the totem pole with the snap of a finger._

_As time passed, it was discovered that the disease responsible for killing fertility in woman was hereditary. And so far, no cure had been discovered. However one thing was changing that no one could have predicted._

_Men were starting to be born with the ability to carry children. They were dubbed 'Carriers' and were instantly labeled as freaks or abominations. It was unnatural for a man to carry a child, that was a woman's job._

_So Carriers were shoved aside and treated like scum. No one wanted to hire a Carrier. They were abnormal and filthy._

_This caused the Carriers to band together. Whenever someone tested positive, they were immediately taken away to a special area to take classes and learn about who they were, but also how to hide who they were until it was necessary to reveal it. They were given special medication and kept separated from the world until they graduated high school._

_It was their only form of defense._

_It was the only way they could hope to survive._   
  


~~  
  


Wooyoung licked his lips nervously while looking at the front entrance of the new school he was supposed to be dedicating his life to. If he wasn't already nervous, the giant brick wall surrounding campus and the iron gates that closed at night to keep the 'unwelcome' out.

He watched as students flooded in and out, all chatting about their classes or what their plans were for later in the day. Each had a backpack slung over their shoulder, some were carrying additional books, were staring down at their phone with headphones trailing up to their ears.

How he was supposed to survive here, he had no idea... but there was no backing out now.

Wooyoung held up the map in his hand to find the building he would be taking classes in. He was thankful that everything was outlined pretty well, especially since it was a large campus.

At least he only had to be here part time. It was frowned upon anymore, but Wooyoung wasn't interested in a full degree like everyone else was. All he wanted to do was take a few cooking classes and get one or two business classes under his belt. One of the few professions that still hired based on skill was a chef or baker.

All Wooyoung needed to do was lay low and get through the next few semesters as quickly as possible.

After taking a deep breath, he pressed his lips together and walked through the front gate. This was his first time being in a large crowd like this in a long time, and to say his anxiety was through the roof was an understatement.

So many things could go wrong.

His black hair worked as a veil around his face, blocking his vision on the sides, which helped keep him just a touch calmer.

The less he was seen the better. He didn't need to get himself into trouble.

Thankfully he found the building needed easily and his class was located on the west side near the back.

The building itself was gorgeous. It consisted mostly of faded red brick with creeping vines that crawled up the sides and arched around the giant windows edged in white. The roof came up to a sharp point in several places.

All of the buildings on campus were similar in design too. It was a common theme with all college campuses anymore, because in all reality, these buildings weren't as old as their design eluded to be.

Any college campus built in this 'new world' was carefully planned out and designed. Each one was gated off to protect the students and each one was given some sort of theme to try and match the message the campus wanted to give off.

This one catered to more artistic careers, which was why Wooyoung had chosen it.

When he found his classroom, he stopped in place and felt his eyebrows raise in shock. There were several high end, fully stocked stations that had an oven, mini fridge, sink, and smaller appliances ready for use. They were all in a 'u' shape and were a mixture of stainless steel and dark oak wood. By his count there were eight stations total.

It was beautiful.

Other students were standing off to the side chatting casually while they waited for their instructor to show up. Wooyoung sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and stood a short distance away from them.

"I heard the instructor is really good!" One girl said bobbing her head back and forth while keeping an eye on the door.

"Well I heard he's incredibly handsome." Another one giggled. "He's the only reason I'm here. I need an easy 'A'."

A boy stepped up and gave her a sly smile. "I wouldn't count on that, I heard he's a hard ass."

"We will see about that once he sees me." The second girl winked and pushed up her breasts to show them off a little.

Wooyoung couldn't help but smile at the exchange. It was so natural. He envied them a little if he was being honest with himself.

A hush fell over the room when the door opened and a tall, admittedly very attractive man came in. Wooyoung had to hand it to the one girl, she was right. He was tall with partially slicked back brown hair and he looked nice in a chocolate colored suit. "Good afternoon." His voice held power behind it that silenced the room immediately.

Wooyoung straighter up a little and ran his hands through his hair twice only for it to fall in the same place it was before.

"My name is Professor Kim, and I'm going to be your instructor." He stopped at the front of the classroom and his mouth twisted up in a smile. Everyone in the room was captivated by him. "I'm going to keep this simple, I love to cook and I love teaching others to cook. As long as you take my class seriously, don't slack off, and don't start any fires, we will get along just fine." He ended with a bright smile that crinkled his eyes and he slapped his hands together. "Now I have name tags that I'm going to place on each station that I've made from the enrollment sheet. Once I'm done, go to your station and introduce yourself to your partner. This will be your permanent place for the entire semester, so if you have special equipment you'd like to bring from home and keep here, you're more than welcome to. You'll be the only students using this room." Professor Kim said as he walked around the room setting down name cards. "That also means that as long as you are in good standing with me, you can use this room whenever you'd like to, but you need to let me know ahead of time."

Excited whispers followed his statement. Wooyoung was feeling it too. He could see himself spending a lot of time here if this was really the case.

When the professor was done, everyone walked down the center isle to find their names.

Wooyoung was both excited and nervous to see that he was assigned one right by the front demonstration kitchen. He set down his bag and ran his fingers over the marble counter.

"Hello." A bright voice came from behind him, making him jump. He turned around to see another boy who looked to be about his age setting his own bag down.

"Hi." Wooyoung greeted while shoving his hands in his back pockets.

The boy flashed a bright, gummy smile before ruffling his copper colored hair. "I'm Jongho. Looks like we are partners!"

"Wooyoung, and it sure does."

"I'm excited for this class. I've always wanted to expanded my culinary knowledge." Jongho said while straightening his imaginary tie and tilting his head back.

Wooyoung couldn't help but laugh, his first one in months. "Are you any good?"

"I dunno. We'll see." Jongho shrugged and turned to face Professor Kim when he started talking again.

The first class was just going over rules and regulations, requirements, and expectations. They also received their schedule so they had an idea as to what they would be preparing.

As Wooyoung scanned the list, he felt his heart beat a little faster with excitement. Some of these he already knew the basics for, so he was ready to learn how to make them even better.

"Well this looks intense." Jongho muttered. His eyebrow was furrowed with concern as he studied the paper in his hand.

"It shouldn't be too bad." Wooyoung leaned over and started pointing at a few things. "Those are really simple, that one is technically challenging but really rewarding when completed, and this one is honestly the best thing ever."

"You've made some of these before?" Jongho looked at him with surprise.

Wooyoung felt himself blushing a little at the sudden attention and he stepped back. "Yeah, I've always really liked cooking and baking." He stared down at the ground.

The distinct sound of someone clearing their throat grabbed his attention. Professor Kim had walked over to their station, causing the girls at the one next to them to start preening and giggling, but he ignored them. "Did I hear you right? You've had some experience in the kitchen?"

"Yes, Sir." Wooyoung had to work hard to keep from stuttering. He started picking at the skin around his fingers to try and calm his nerves.

Professor Kim gave him a crooked smile. "Excellent. It'll be nice to have someone like you in my class. I'll be keeping my eye on you Mr. Jung." He winked and knocked his knuckles against the counter before walking away.

Wooyoung watched his professor walk away and didn't know if he should be happy about this or not.

But his partner definitely was. Jongho stepped forward and threw his arm over Wooyoung's shoulders to bring him closer. "Look at you! My partner, already the Teacher's Pet. I'm pretty sure this is my lucky day."

"I'm not th-that special." Wooyoung turned his head away and continued picking at his fingers. He did his best to take a deep breath and calm his racing heart. This was something he would need to get used to.

This was part of being normal...

He couldn't let things like an over friendly partner chase him away.

That didn't stop him from bending down to grab his bag, though, which caused Jongho to drop his arm.

The boy didn't seem to notice Wooyoung's discomfort and grabbed his own bag. "So what other classes are you taking?"

"U-Um. I'm taking the baking class for now."

"Oh neat! I'm in that class too! A friend of mine, his parents own a shop nearby that I work at, but they wanted me to get some experience under my belt to help me through it." Jongho grabbed his backpack to start putting all the papers away that they had received. "At first I was hesitant, because I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I think it's going to be good for me. You should come by sometime! It's this cute little place just outside the north gates called Mars Café." Jongho turned back to Wooyoung while nodding his head. "Promise?"

Wooyoung found himself nodding just to get Jongho to stop talking. "Sure, of course. I'm s-sorry, but I need to get going."

"Alright, see you later then!" Jongho bowed his head before spinning in place and walking away.

Wooyoung took a moment to catch his breath before leaving. He kept his head down and hurried away from campus. This was too much excitement for one day. All he needed now was to be back in his studio apartment where he could hide himself away and pretend like everything would be ok.


	2. Chapter 2

"Aiya! Why do you have to do that here?"

"What are you doing home? You said you wouldn't be home until later!"

"My class got out early, god Mingi, I'm scarred for life now!" Yunho yelled while slapping both hands to his face. He turned around and hurried out of the living room and into his own bedroom.

"Well how was I supposed to know that?!" Mingi shouted. A lot of loud thumps came from the other room that sounded a lot like Mingi jumping in place while trying to pull his pants on.

It shouldn't have been that big of a surprise, this wasn't the first time he had come home to Mingi changing into something. If he was willing to bet, Mingi's boyfriend would be walking through the front door any minute now.

But that didn't mean Yunho was ready to see his best friend naked. He also had to make sure he found something to do now because things always got really intense once everything was over and he was tired of feeling like a third wheel.

Yunho let out a long sigh and tossed his backpack on his bed. He stood there for a long moment just staring at nothing, then grabbed it again before standing at his door. "Are you presentable?" He shouted.

A large thump and a groan answered him. "Yes."

Yunho peeked his head through the door and saw Mingi hunched over on the floor rubbing the back of his head wearing only a pair of jeans. "You ok?"

His friend gave an embarrassed laugh and nodded. "You know I always am. Are, um, you heading out again then?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to interrupt." Yunho held up his hands and grinned. "Just... text me when you're done, ok?"

Mingi smiled gratefully and started sifting through a pile of clothes on the couch.

After one more shake of his head, Yunho grabbed his keys and left the apartment they shared. He was happy to get outside and enjoy the beautiful fall day. There was a slight breeze, which kept everything a little cooler.

The apartments he lived at were designed for students, so there were several groups gathered on tables that had been provided. Just down the street was a park as well that he could already see being a popular hang out.

He walked past it and continued down to a little strip mall full of small family owned businesses. One the corner stores was his favorite place in the city. Mars Café was owned by a sweet couple who believed it was their job in life to stuff the college students full of incredible sweets and baked goods.

The bell dinged when he opened the door, and Yunho looked around for an empty table. It was a cute diner-type setup with several booths and then a bar separating the main dining area from the kitchen. He ended up taking a seat there and pulling out his math book before grabbing a menu.

"Yunho! I wasn't expecting to see you today!"

"Oh, hey Seonghwa." Yunho looked up and smiled when he saw his friend walking out of the back carrying a large tray of freshly baked cookies. The smell instantly made Yunho's mouth water. "I knew I came here for a reason."

Seonghwa chuckled and set down the tray on the back counter. "Ouch. Well at least something helps me see your shining face."

Yunho snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, that's exactly the reason."

"How was your first day of class?" The baker asked while loading the cookies into the display case just to Yunho's right.

"The typical layout. Syllabus, expectations, all that jazz. I think this one is going to be a great semester! I've got two dance classes and I'm finishing off the last of my core classes. I just have to do this awful math class and a writing class, which I'll do next semester, then I'm all set to focus on dance!" Yunho bounced in his seat a little while tapping his long fingers against the counter.

All he wanted to do was dance. He knew that it would mean needing to work twice as hard for everything in the world they lived in now, but he was willing to do it. He loved the idea of becoming a choreographer. Creating dances and being able to tell stories with his body took him to a whole different level that he thrived in.

"I'm glad to hear that! I'm guessing that means you're going to need a constant supply of baked goods to keep you going." Seonghwa said. He slid a plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of him, then looked over at the door when it opened.

"Hwa! Hwa!"

Yunho looked over his shoulder to see one of the students who managed to get a job here come scrambling in. His copper colored hair was all askew and his cheeks were really rosy from exertion.

"Don't run in here." Seonghwa scolded. "What's got you so excited?"

"He did it! Look!" the boy ran forward and practically shoved his phone in Seonghwa's face. He had the proudest smile on his face.

Seonghwa took the phone and tilted his head a little while reading the article, then his eyes lit up. "Oh! Oh! This is amazing Jongho! Have you talked to him yet?"

Jongho shook his head and took his phone back to stare at the screen. "No, but the new just happened. I'm sure they are out celebrating right now."

When nothing was said for a few minutes, Yunho cocked an eyebrow in Seonghwa's direction. The baker cleared his throat. "Sorry. Jongho's boyfriend is an idol and the duo he's in just won a huge award for their last song."

"Oh! That's great! What duo?"

"Seonghwa!" Jongho hissed before looking around. "No one is supposed to know!"

The baker held up his hands and cringed. "I'm sorry. You two are just so cute together. It's hard not to say anything."

Jongho pushed his lips out in a pout before glancing back down at his phone and blushing. "Yeah, it is hard. But I have to do it, for him."

"Cute." Seonghwa ruffled his hair. "Now get back there and start working." He watched with a loving gaze as Jongho nodded and hurried into the back room. "He's a good kid, but you can't tell anyone." Seonghwa turned back to Yunho and cringed. "I... tend to run my mouth sometimes."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything." The taller leaned over the bar and whispered, "But what group?"

Seonghwa licked his lips and glanced around the café before leaning forward as well. "Moonchild."

Yunho's eyebrows shot up and he slapped the counter. "The Catboys?!"

"Shhhhhh. Don't call them that in front of Jongho!" Seonghwa hissed. "You do not want to get on his bad side, trust me."

Hearing the urgency of Seonghwa's voice made Yunho roll back in his seat with laughter. "Oh man, this is amazing. I could have sworn those two were like, a thing." He wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to take a deep breath. "So which one is it?"

The baker crossed his arms and shook his head before smiling. "San."

"That's sweet. All jokes aside, Moonchild is a great group. I really like their music. That's great that they won something."

"It is." Seonghwa said with a sigh. They both turned to watch as Jongho came out with a tray of cupcakes. He was still smiling and now humming to himself cheerfully while loading the display case.

Yunho assumed it was Moonchild's new song, but it was too soft for him to fully hear it.

"Let me know if you need anything else." Seonghwa rapped his knuckles against the counter, then walked into the back.

"Will do, thanks Hwa." Yunho finally took a bite of the cookie in front of him and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. This place made the best cookies.

After devouring two cookies, he sighed and returned to his book. If there was one subject he struggled with the most, it was math. It was something he knew he was going to struggle with all semester, but if he could just pass he would be ok.

Already the numbers started to swirl together on the page.

Dings from the front door interrupted the quiet music in the background, signaling whenever someone came and went and the chatter from visitors made for nice background noise. Yunho liked the noise more than sitting in silence, that's why he was ok with coming here.

That, and Seonghwa slipped him extra cookies whenever he walked by.

At one point he received a text from Mingi telling him he was clear to come home, but Yunho was in too deep now to just pack it up. He would wait until he finished with his assignment before going home.

"Hello, welcome in." Seonghwa called out when the door opened some time later. "Find a place anywhere anywhere and I'll be with you in a minute."

"Thanks." A timid voice said.

Yunho looked up just in time to see a head of longer black hair hurry by him before Seonghwa leaned against the counter. "So, are you planning on eating any actual food here? Or are we just filling you to the brim with sugar today?"

"As good as sugar sounds, what do you have?" Yunho ruffled his hair and flashed a bashful smile when his stomach grumbled at him.

"Just some sandwiches and soups, nothing too fancy since we are primarily a café."

Yunho hummed and then leaned forward to rest his head against the counter. "Surprise me." He grumbled.

"You got it." Seonghwa patted his head twice before going to the end of the counter and walking out from behind it to tend to his other customers.

"Oh! You're here!" Jongho suddenly said a few minutes later. He rushed past Yunho and went to stand next to one of the booths. "I can't believe it!"

Whoever he was talking to didn't talk loud enough for Yunho to hear, but it was sweet seeing how excited Jongho was to see the person. Especially when he introduced him to Seonghwa. The older motioned for Jongho to sit, which he did happily and started chatting with the visitor.

"He gets excited easily." Yunho commented when Seonghwa was close enough again.

"Yeah, he's a good kid. I guess that's someone he's partners with in the cooking class he's taking on campus."

"Oh, Jongho goes to school here too?"

Seonghwa hummed. "Mom and Dad are paying for him to take just a couple of classes. He really grew on them because I don't think they'd do it for just anyone. But Jongho hasn't has the easiest life so I think they took pity on him."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Yunho said, feeling memories of his past tugging at his own heart. "I'm glad he found you guys then. Everyone deserves a chance at happiness."

"Exactly. Although if he doesn't tone down the happiness scale he may just scare that poor boy off. He looks like a cornered mouse over there."

"Maybe I'll go try and pull Jongho away?" Yunho offered. Any chance to get him away from his math homework was welcome now.

Seonghwa sucked in a breath through his teeth and glanced at the booth. Jongho was waving his hands around in a very animated manner. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Yunho spun in the stool and hopped in place for a moment. He didn't realize just how long he had been sitting until just now and it felt good to stretch his legs. After a few seconds, he causally made his way over to the booth and waved to get Jongho's attention. "Hey, Seonghwa said he needed you?"

"Already? Darn, well I'll try to come back when I can." Jongho smiled at the boy sitting across from him and started to slide out of the seat.

"It's-s ok." The boy said, bowing his head a little.

"Oh, and let me bring you some food." Jongho hurried away without waiting for an answer.

Being naturally curious, Yunho glanced down at the boy and noticed he was sitting in the very corner of the booth. He was playing with his fingers in his lap and looked incredibly tense.

"Sorry about him, he gets excited easily." Yunho offered, hoping it would calm the boy down.

"I know. It's ok." The boy's voice sounded oddly familiar.

Yunho leaned to the side, wanting to get a good look at his face. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm f-fine."

"Oh my god." Yunho gasped when he caught a glimpse. He brought his hand to his mouth and took a step back. "Wooyoung?"


	3. Chapter 3

Wooyoung's head jerked up in surprise at his name. At first he had been working up the courage to tell this stranger to leave him alone, but if he knew him...

He was even more surprised when he realized he recognized the stranger too. "Yunho?"

The brightest smile crossed the older's face and he immediately slid into the opposite seat. "Yeah! Oh wow, I can't believe it! How long has it been?"

"Um, four years?" Wooyoung hesitated and looked back down. He braced himself for all the questions and possible accusations that were about to come. His hands were shaking as fast as his heart was beating. He knew it was a bad idea to come here... This is what he deserved for wanting to try something new.

"Wow. You look... good." Yunho's voice had an attempt at sympathy in it but it was far from true.

Wooyoung didn't look good. He was pale, thin, and overall didn't look healthy. But he still forced a smile. "Thanks. You look amazing." That was true. He couldn't help but admire how much Yunho had grown up. He was no longer just a gangly kid who barely had any control over his long limbs. No, he was admittedly very handsome now and Wooyoung loved that his brown hair was still perfectly fluffy and just slightly wavy on top of his head.

Yunho chuckled as his eyes flicked down to the table. "So, what have you been up to?"

It still wasn't the question Wooyoung was waiting for, but he was at least prepared for it. And he already had an answer too. There was no way he could tell Yunho the truth... "Honestly, not a whole lot. Just graduating from school."

"Were you placed in a new home?"

Wooyoung nodded slowly. "Yeah."

He waited for the next statement to come, but the moment was interrupted by Jongho hurrying over with a tray of food. "Ok! I brought you a couple different cookies, and Seonghwa said he made you a sandwich." He added, setting one down in front of Yunho. "Do you two know each other?"

Wooyoung didn't exactly know what to say, so when Yunho spoke up first he let out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jongho. And we do actually. Wooyoung and I were in the same foster home for about a year."

The typical shocked look crossed Jongho's face at the mention of a foster home and he stumbled over his words a couple of times. "O-Oh! I-"

"It's ok." Yunho winked at him. "It's nothing to apologize for. It's just a part of life."

Wooyoung glanced up and felt tests start to pool in his eyes. He made a quick show of rummaging in his backpack so he could wipe them away.

"Sure. Um, I need to keep helping in the kitchen, but let me know if you need anything else." Jongho offered with too much kindness in his voice now.

It made Wooyoung's stomach churn a little, but he forced it aside and smiled up at Jongho. "Thanks."

When the server left, both boys sitting at the table sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Yunho sighed and pushed the plate of cookies toward Wooyoung. "You have to at least try the chocolate chip one. This café are famous for them. I swear they can cure anything." He laughed brightly before patting his stomach. "Except a stomach ache, but those are always worth it."

The notion was so silly, Wooyoung couldn't help but laugh. "Well I guess I better give these magic cookies a try." He took a bite and hummed when it melted in his mouth. "Wow, these are really good!"

"I know, right? I can't get enough of them."

"Mine are better."

Yunho's jaw dropped so fast it had Wooyoung rolling to the side and clutching his stomach. "Those are fighting words there! Don't let Seonghwa here you say that." Yunho glanced toward the kitchen with a a face that almost made him look scared. But then he smiled and picked up his sandwich. "So you like to bake?" He asked before taking a bite.

Wooyoung hummed and nodded. "I do. That's actually how I know Jongho. Turns out we have a couple of classes together on campus."

"No way, you're going to school here too?!" Yunho forced around his mouth full of food and pointed at himself. "Me too! This is great! Now we can hang out and catch up!"

"Wow, small world." Wooyoung forced a smile and rubbed the back of his neck. As nice as it was seeing Yunho again, part of his didn't really want to catch up. He didn't like the idea of keeping secrets from the older, and there was so much he would have to hide...

The guilt started to well up in him even more and Wooyoung started trying to think of excuses as to why he would have to leave. He should have just gone home in the first place.

"It's ok, Woo." Yunho said softly, making the younger's head snap up again. A kind look crossed his face and he tilted his head just a little. "You don't need to feel bad. Kids came and went all the time. I'm not mad at you for leaving without saying goodbye."

Wooyoung's forehead creased and he took a deep breath. "I am sorry though. I... I didn't really have a choice."

"I know. And if you want to talk about it one day, we can. But you don't have to explain yourself. I'm just happy to see you again and know that you're ok." Yunho reached across the table and out of instinct Wooyoung took his hand.

It was something they had always done when they were in the foster home together. Yunho had always been Wooyoung's anchor. It was the first time he had really felt welcome in.

But then he was ripped away from it all because of one incident that changed the course of his future forever.

Sometimes Wooyoung truly hated himself.

"So what classes are you taking?" Yunho asked, trying to lighten the mood.

They spent the next hour or so talking about school, and really most of it was Yunho getting really excited about his dance classes. When he mentioned how much he hated his math class, Wooyoung bit his lip and said, "I could help, if you'd like..."

"Really? That would be awesome! Here." He pulled out his phone and slid it across the table. "Give me your number and then you can send me your schedule and we can find a time to meet and work on this. I'm return, I will gladly be your test subject for all you cooking needs." Yunho tilted his head back and closed his eyes while rubbing his stomach.

"I think I'm getting the short end of the stick here." Wooyoung laughed, but he still entered his name and number into Yunho's phone. "But that would be nice."

Yunho pumped his fists a couple times while hissing yes, then texted Wooyoung so he had Yunho's number.

"Well, I should get going." Wooyoung said after a moment.

"Yeah, I should too. It was so good to see you again. Please text me as soon as you can!"

They both stood up and Yunho looked like he was going in for a hug, but Wooyoung quickly turned to grab his backpack and waived his hand awkwardly. "I'll see you soon."

The taller gave an awkward chuckle and ruffled his hair to try and cover up his attempt at the hug. "Yeah, yeah, I'll see you soon. Have a good evening."

With another nod, Wooyoung walked up to the main counter to pay for his food, which Jongho immediately shook his head and backed away. "Nope. Today was my treat. I'm just glad you came. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Y-Yeah." Wooyoung slipped his wallet back into his pocket and pursed his lips. "Um, thanks."

"Don't mention it. Thanks for visiting." Jongho flashed a bright, gummy smile, then disappeared in the back.

Wooyoung's walk home was about fifteen minutes from here. He didn't mind though, he had always loved being outside. It was late enough in the afternoon that the area around campus wasn't too busy either. That made things so much nicer for him because he didn't have to try as hard to avoid people.

When he got back to his studio apartment, he set down his backpack on his small, round table and glanced around the room. It wasn't much, at all, but at least he was alone here. He's had enough of sharing rooms to last him a lifetime.

The apartment itself was on the small side too. One wall consisted of his 'kitchen', which really was only two counters, a stove, and a fridge. He had his table in the corner with his single chair. A small open area separated the kitchen from his bed, and by small, it took Wooyoung four strides to reach his bed. He had it facing another wall that had a dresser on it and a small tv sitting on top. The only door besides the front door was the one that led to his bathroom, which was so small air couldn't fit a bathtub, he just had a shower stall crammed in next to his sink and toilet.

But it was home. Or, a close to a home as he's ever had.

Memories of his past started to flood his mind, all because of his encounter with Yunho...

When they lived together at the foster home, he and and Yunho had become close almost instantly. There were a few other boys living in the house with them, but no one accepted Wooyoung like Yunho had. Especially because Wooyoung had been tossed from home to home almost every year since he was three.

Yunho had been the first person to ever truly care about him, and that was something he would never forget.

But things had happened... and Wooyoung had been dragged away once more.

He cringed at the memory and quickly shook his head to try and dismiss the awful thoughts. He had worked so damn hard to try and forget about what happened. It was something he didn't want haunting him forever... but maybe it would.

As soon as his body started trembling, Wooyoung ran to his bathroom and opened up the medicine cabinet to find his pills. They were something he had basically been ordered to take for his... condition... but he found that they helped him with his anxiety too.

He didn't know if it was just a trick they played on his mind or if something was in the pill that actually helped treat it, but he wasn't one to argue.

As soon as he swallowed the little yellow pill, he flopped back on his bed and curled up into a little ball. The only bad thing about the pills was that they made him really nauseous. It looked like he wouldn't be eating tonight... He had to be sure to take his other pill though, although he knew his phone would alert him as to when he needed to take it.

With his face pressed to the comforter below him, Wooyoung started to wonder if coming here was a mistake. He had wanted to try something new, make a life for himself, not let his condition hold him back... but maybe his teachers were right.

He had no place in the real world. That's what they used to tell him. They used to spend hours trying to convince him and his fellow students to stay behind and work in their designated offices. They would be taken care of there. But they couldn't force them to stay.

Wooyoung wasn't the only one who had wanted to leave. They weren't prisoners there and they were never told that they were. So a chance at a normal life it was.

Could he really do this though? Could he just forget everything that had happened to him?

Wooyoung wasn't so sure...


	4. Chapter 4

During his walk home, Yunho couldn’t stop thinking about how incredible it was to see Wooyoung again. He hadn’t thought about him in… years now. They had both been fifteen years old the last time they had seen each other.

There was so much they needed to catch up on, but Yunho hadn’t missed how different and timid the younger was.

But it wasn’t his place to push. They had been good friends once, he had no doubt they would be friends again.

When he got home, Yunho wasn’t surprised to see a bunch of clothes strewn over every piece of furniture he and Mingi had. As soon as he closed the door, he slipped off his shoes and pointed his finger at Mingi’s bedroom right when it opened and a frustrated voice came from the other side.

“Mingi, would you please just stand still! I’m almost done.”

At another point of Yunho’s finger, Mingi stormed out shaking his head. “No, we’ve been at this all day. I’m tired Joong!” He complained.

His shorter, red-haired boyfriend hurried after him holding up a jacket. He had several pins wedged between his lips and was trying to speak around them. “Mingi, please, just put this on. I promise this is the last thing.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Yunho teased, gaining the couple’s attention in front of him.

“Yunho, please tell him to stand still.” Hongjoong huffed around the pins. Then he turned and batted his eyelashes up at Mingi.

Nothing else needed to be said because Mingi’s shoulders sagged and he took the jacket to pull on. Hongjoong clapped his hands in response and started taking measurements and pinning it where it needed to be taken in.

“So you’ll never guess what happened to me today.” Yunho said while leaning against their couch.

Mingi turned to look at him and tried to fight the smile threatening to cross his face as Hongjoong walked several circles around him. “You’re right, I won’t, so just tell me.”

“Do you remember when I told you about some of my foster brothers?”

“Yeah. Ouch!” Mingi hissed and jerked to the side, earning several muttered apologizes from Hongjoong.

“I ran into one of them today at Mars Café.”

Both Mingi and Hongjoong stopped what they were doing and looked at him with wide eyes. “Really? Who?” Mingi asked, concern entering his voice.

He and Yunho had been close friends for about four years now. They met in high school and had been inseparable, so naturally Yunho had opened up to him and told him a lot about his past. He had even met some of Yunho’s foster siblings before.

“Wooyoung.” Yunho could feel the small smile tugging at his lips when he spoke the boy’s name.

“Wait… The one who you said was like your best friend for a year and then vanished?”

“Yeah. Crazy, right? I’m actually expecting a text from him at some point, he’s going to help me in math.” Yunho felt his face heat up in embarrassment when the other two chuckled, especially when their eyes flicked to his ears. “What? It’s not like either of you two have stepped up to help!”

“I would, but…” Hongjoong gave an awkward smile before ducking behind Mingi.

“You’ve got your next premier coming, I know. And your every loyal guinea pig needs to be available at all times.”

Mingi glared at him at the mention of the nickname but didn’t offer any argument.

They made a cute couple and Yunho really admired their relationship. Their meeting was totally by chance too.

Hongjoong had been wandering around campus looking for people to model his new designs for him because he never liked how they looked on himself. He had had a few serious interviews, but one day Mingi walked by him on his way to meet Yunho.

According to Hongjoong, it was like he could see Mingi walking on a runway right there and he had practically tackled the taller to the ground and begged for his help, with the promise of payment as a sweet incentive.

At first Mingi had been hesitant, but the money was nice. Over time he had learned to put up with Hongjoong’s eccentric ways and now he was completely whipped.

Yunho had never seen his friend act like this with anyone else. He would do anything for Hongjoong, including putting up with the torture of still being his personal mannequin or flying over seas for big showcases.

That was the other thing that came from their relationship. Hongjoong was big enough in the design industry that he got to go to several huge parties in different countries throughout the year to debut his work. And Mingi went with him every time.

“Anyway, that was my fun fact for the day. Should we figure out dinner?” Yunho walked over to the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets.

“That would be good, I’m starving.” Mingi grumbled.

“Oh you big baby!” Hongjoong sighed. “Yunho don’t worry about it, I’ll order us some food. “Oh, and keep Friday night open, will you? A friend of mine is going to be in town and he wants to meet you guys. Especially you, Yunho.” Hongjoong looked over his shoulder and winked.

“Joong, quit trying to set him up.” Mingi rolled his eyes and ruffled Hongjoong’s hair so hard that the designer wobbled back and forth a little.

Yunho laughed and let the two continue the little lovers spat they fell into and went to his room to await the greatly anticipated food. He wasn’t one to turn down free food, but only when Hongjoong offered. He would never ask the older for money, especially because he knew Hongjoong was already paying for their apartment. And really, it was Mingi’s apartment, he just offered for Yunho to move in rent free so that he could focus on school.

It was an unspoken thing between the three of them that Yunho would always be grateful for.

A buzz from his pocket had him pulling his phone and he was happy to see that it as Wooyoung and a text detailing the classes he was taking. They exchanged a few texts back and forth and agreed to meet starting the next afternoon.

If he was being honest, Yunho was probably more excited about that then the dance classes he had this week. A soft smile crossed his face when he thought about all the late nights he and Wooyoung would share together in one of their bedrooms. They weren’t supposed to, the rules of the house had been lights out at ten, but both of them had the habit of sneaking into each other’s rooms after a couple of hours.

It had started when Wooyoung had first arrived. It had been easy to see his last home hadn’t been the best… He was thin, wore baggy clothes, and it looked like someone had taken a pair of sheers to his hair.

Yunho had been in this home for about seven years now, and he had never been happier. The Yeo family were kind and had treated him well right off the bat. A few other kids had come and gone depending on if they had been adopted or not, but Yunho was never lucky enough to be chosen. He didn’t mind though, he was happy there.

The Yeo’s had ended up adopting him on his sixteenth birthday, though. It was truly the happiest moment of his life.

But when Wooyoung had come, they welcomed him with open arms and did everything they could to take care of him. They bought him new clothes, made sure he had everything he needed for school, and there was always plenty of food to feed everyone in the house.

Wooyoung had quickly filled out and changed into a bright and bubbly person.

And oh how he and Yunho loved to get into trouble together.

Yunho chuckled to himself when he remembered the mud fight they had started with a couple of kids down the street. It had turned into an all out war for almost an hour before several parents came running and forced them to clean every single car on the block.

He wondered if Wooyoung would remember it too.

There hadn’t been anyone like Wooyoung. Even some of the other kids that came and went had grown close to him too. He had been a light in that house.

And then he just vanished…

Yunho had asked his parents about it a couple of times over the years, wondering if they knew how he was doing or what home he had ended up in, but they never had an answer for him. And when he had originally asked why Wooyoung left, they just told him that the agency came to pick him up to take him to a different home.

It had been weird… The Yeo’s had looked sad about it, but Yunho could tell that there was something else there that they didn’t like.

When he met Mingi in high school, he finally felt at ease again when it came to a friend. Mingi filled the void Wooyoung had left behind and he would be forever grateful for that. And now Hongjoong made their life richer, both literally and emotionally.

Seonghwa was nice to talk with as well, although they had never spent time together socially before.

Yunho sighed and glanced over at where he had a couple of pictures mounted on the wall. One was of him when he was four with his birth parents. He looked a lot like his dad, they even had the same exact smile. They had died in a car accident shortly after that picture was taken.

Next to it was a picture with him and his parents now, the Yeo’s. They were a sweet couple with bright, cheerful smiles as they both hugged Yunho around his waist. He was a little over a foot taller than both of them so it made for some comical pictures. They always told him that he was their perfect match. Mrs. Yeo wasn’t able to have children and that’s why they started fostering kids. They loved everyone they took in, but no one quite as much as Yunho.

Speaking of his mom, Yunho glanced at his phone when it started vibrating it again and answered as soon as he saw it was her. “Mom!”

“Hello Sweetheart. How was your day?” She sounded incredibly tired.

“Are you ok?” Yunho asked, sitting down on his bed.

“Oh, of course Honey. It was just… just a long day. But please, tell me about yours. How is Mingi?” He could hear the smile in her voice and that settled his worry a little.

“He’s fine. Hongjoong is here again.”

His mom laughed. “How long have they been at it?”

“Sounds like a couple of hours now.” Yunho laid back on his bed and stared up at the glow in the dark stars he had placed all over his ceiling. “You know how they can get.”

“When are they getting married?” She asked with a teasing tone.

“As soon as one of them mans up enough to pop the question.” They both laughed at Yunho’s answer. His parents had visited a few times and had experienced first hand just how anal Hongjoong could be about his work and how stubborn Mingi like to pretend to be. It usually prompted them to as Yunho when he was going to start dating, so he hoped that wouldn’t be the case today. “Mom, you’ll never guess who I ran into today.”

“You’re right, I won’t, so just tell me.”

“Wooyoung!”

“Woo… Wooyoung?” Her voice sounded a little distant, like she was really having to think about things. “Wait, you mean-“

“Yeah! He’s taking classes here, can you believe it?” He sat up when he heard his mom sniff through the phone. “Mom?”

“How is he?” Her voice shook and Yunho could hear her sniffing some more, although it sounded like she was trying to cover the mic.

“He seems good. We didn’t get to talk long, but I’m going to see him again tomorrow.” There was a long silence before after he spoke and Yunho’s forehead creased with worry. “Mom? Are you ok?”

“Just be careful, Baby.” Mrs. Yeo said. Her tone had changed now. There was still a quiver to it as she spoke, like she was still upset, but now it sounded like she was giving a harsh warning to Yunho. “He’s a different person now. Don’t give him the opportunity to hurt you like he did before.”

“Mom, wha-“

“I have to go, Sweetheart. Have a good evening and I’ll talk to you later. I love you.” She hung up before Yunho got the chance to respond.

He looked at his screen for a long time trying to process what just happened. It was almost like she was telling him not to see Wooyoung.

How different could one person be? Sure, five years was a long time, but he couldn’t have changed that much.

Yunho pursed his lips and set down his phone. He would talk to his mom about it more later.

“Dinner’s here!” Mingi shouted from the other room.

“It’s about time!” Yunho shouted back even louder.

“It could have not come at all!” Hongjoong yelled.

Yunho stepped into the living room and laughed. “Like you’d really let us starve.”

Hongjoong shot him a playful glare before jerking his hand toward the kitchen. “Oh just shut up and go stuff your face before I change my mind.”


	5. Chapter 5

Class the next day for Wooyoung ended up being much like the previous one. Professor Kim was the teacher for the baking class as well and he was more than happy to pair Jongho and Wooyoung together.

It was a separate room than the cooking class since not all students took both, but he winked at them while placing their names on the station at the front of the room again.

He ended it giving a little more of an elaborate speech for this class, talking about how baking is a science and paying attention to all the measurements was key if they wanted to bake the right consistency and get a good grade in the class.

“This is so exciting!” Jongho whispered when Professor Kim was talking to another table. “Please tell me you’re as good at this as you are in baking?”

Wooyoung couldn’t help but smile fondly at the boy. In their chatting before class he had found out he was less than a year older than Jongho, but it was easy to see he had still somehow managed to gain an admirer in class.

“I seriously need to get better if the Parks are going to keep me on their staff. So many other students would kill to work there.” The younger added with a pout while examining the list.

“How did you get the job in the first place then?” Wooyoung cocked his head to the side and leaned against the counter.

“I won them over with my strength and my charm.” Jongho said while pushing his lips out and flexing his arms.

Wooyoung couldn’t help but bust out laughing at the ridiculous sight and clutched his stomach. “Yeah, that was definitely it.” That earned him a playful punch from the younger, but he didn’t mind.

Jongho was easy to be around. Wooyoung was thankful he had met someone so natural that would be in his classes. It definitely helped with his anxiety about being on campus.

As with the day before, they were dismissed early without actually making anything. “I’m headed to work, what are you up to for the rest of the day?” Jongho asked after slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

“Um, I’m actually headed that way too. Is it ok if I walk with you?” Wooyoung chewed on the inside of his lip nervously.

“Of course!” Jongho threw his arm over Wooyoung’s shoulder and started pulling him through campus.

He really was strong. Wooyoung didn’t think he could pull away even if he tried. “Th-Thanks.”

“Can’t resist those cookies, can you?”

“I’m actually meeting Yunho for tutoring.”

Jongho bobbed his head up and down. “That’s great. I don’t know him very well, but Seonghwa has always spoken highly of him. He’s definitely a regular. Well when we get there you just pick whatever table you want and I’ll send him over when he arrives.”

Wooyoung just nodded and let himself be steered around against his will. Thankfully the café wasn’t too far away because by the end of it his skin was starting to crawl a little bit. He semi gracefully removed Jongho’s arm from his shoulder by spinning to face him and tell him he’d see him around, then quickly scurried over to a booth in the corner where he could cram himself in the far corner and burry his face in his arms.

He was such a mess…

“Hey, Honey. Are you ok?” Seonghwa said gently a few minutes later.

Wooyoung’s head shot up and he quickly nodded. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.” He said with a tight lipped smile.

“What can I get you then?” Seonghwa looked skeptical but thankfully he didn’t push the matter.

“Just some water for now, please.”

With a nod, the baker left and Wooyoung relaxed into his seat.

Yunho must have a knack for turning up early, because he showed up about five minutes later. “Youngie! You’re here!” He called out when he was still a few strides away from the table.

“Class let out early today.”

“Great! More time for me then.” Yunho chuckled and pulled out his math books.

He seemed a little disorganized, which Wooyoung found endearing. Several pages of his notebook were already bent or folding and he spent a good couple minutes searching for a pencil in the dark recesses of his backpack.

“Sorry.” Yunho sighed when he finally found it. “I got held up at home this morning when my roommates boyfriend tried to convince me I needed a new wardrobe.”

Wooyoung’s favorite part of the day so far was when he noticed that Yunho’s ears still turned red from embarrassment. As much as he wanted to comment on it, he knew he shouldn’t. It was something the older had always been self conscious about. But seeing it still made Wooyoung smile. “Alright, where do you want to start?”

“I don’t even know.” Yunho grumbled. Although that mood vanished as soon as Seonghwa showed up with a plate of cookies, two waters, and a couple of sandwiches for them. “Aww, how did you know?” Yunho perched his chin on his hand and batted his eyelashes up at the cook.

“Mother’s intuition.” Seonghwa winked at Wooyoung before returning to the back.

The words caught Wooyoung off guard and he felt his jaw drop a little. “Is he a… a mom?” The words felt heavy on his tongue.

“Huh?” Yunho said around a mouthful of cookie. He was quick to swallow and waved his hands back and forth. “Oh god no, sorry that’s an inside joke between us. I told him he has a very mothering nature on one of my first visits here and I guess he’s decided to roll with it. Not that it’s untrue, he’s very insightful and observant, but I’ve also seen him go off the deep end and chew a precious employee out for something.” Yunho shivered and shrank into his shoulders a little. “He’s scary.” He added in a whisper.

Wooyoung chewed on the inside of his cheek to try and distract himself so he could calm his racing heart. He was so mad at himself too… part of him had hoped that maybe…

But no, why would anything ever go the way he wanted?

Thankfully Yunho was able to distract him easily after that. They started going over his coursework while eating. It was challenging to keep Yunho focused, especially when Seonghwa would come over to check in them, but they managed to get through it all in a couple of hours. 

“Man this is going to be a long semester.” Yunho groaned while slamming his book shut. “Thanks for your help though, Youngie. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem. I’m happy to do it.”

Yunho looked like he was about to speak again when his phone started ringing. He picked it up and pursed his lips. “Sorry.” He said to Wooyoung before answering it. “Hongjoong? Is everything ok?... What?! Really?... Yeah… No way… I mean I remember you talking about him but I didn’t realize… Oh my god, yes!... Don’t worry, I won’t, but can I invite… No, no… Wow, thanks Joong!... Yeah I’ll talk to you later!” Yunho hung up the phone and bounced in his seat.

“Everything ok?” Wooyoung tilted his head to the side.

“Please tell me you’re free the Saturday night of the month.” Yunho beamed and leaned forward, “because you’ve got an invite to what will probably be the most exclusive party around here this year!”

“What are you talking about?”

Yunho leaned forward a little more and dropped his voice. “So that was my roommates boyfriend, Kim Hongjoong. He’s an up and coming fashion designer and model, well really he’s more than that. A lot of idols and celebrities seek him out to design their clothes. Anyway, he’s been invited to the opening night of a high end club and has been given three extra tickets. One of his friends, who I still don’t actually know his name, is coming in and it’s a party for him.”

“I don’t know…” Wooyoung glanced down and started picking at the skin around his nails, an unfortunate nervous habit that he didn’t realize he did half the time.

“I promise it’ll be fun. Hongjoong will get us all dressed up and there’s going to be a lot of free food, good music, how can you not want to go?” Yunho sounded bewildered at Wooyoung’s hesitation.

There were several reasons why he didn’t want to go, but none that he could really tell Yunho about and use as a legitimate reason. “I’ll think about it.”

The older seemed a little disappointed by his answer but thankfully he accepted and didn’t push the subject further, except to say, “I’ll make sure you meet Hongjoong and Mingi first, then you can decide.”

“Mingi is your roommate?” Wooyoung wanted to change the subject desperately, so he latched into something that was bound to keep Yunho talking.

“Yeah! He’s also my best friend, and had been since high school. We bonded in gym class during the dance unit when we were the only two to take the choreography assignment seriously. That’s actually what made me fall in love with it and want to pursue it as a career. And my parents have been so supportive too.”

Wooyoung felt his heart stop for a second and the air grew heavy around him. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Yunho noticed right away and had a range of emotions flash across his face from happiness and excitement to worry and regret. “The Yeo’s adopted me on my sixteenth birthday.” He said quietly.

The younger didn’t know how to respond. Part of him was so happy for his friend. Getting adopted was a huge deal and the Yeo’s were a nice couple who had obviously loved Yunho very much.

But he would be lying if he said he wasn’t heartbroken too. Partly because he had left only a couple of months before Yunho’s birthday, but mostly because of what the Yeo’s had done to him…

Wooyoung pushed that aside though and quickly plastered on a smile. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you.”

Yunho pressed his lips together and his shoulders sagged a little. “I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to upset you.”

“I’m fi-“

“No you’re not. I can see it in your eyes.” Yunho kept his voice soft and kind as he spoke. “I wasn’t expecting it to happen. They never showed any sign of wanting it, other than making sure I was never moved to another home.” He paused for a long moment, then whispered, “What happened to you, Youngie? Why did you leave without saying goodbye.”

Wooyoung make a small sound in the back of his throat, then swallowed. How was he supposed to answer that question? It was so unfair of Yunho to ask him that… he didn’t want to lie, but he couldn’t tell him the truth about any of it. And there were so many things that factored into him leaving. “It’s… complicated.” He finally forced out.

“How? Did the system force you into another home? Did you just not like living there? Did… did I do something wrong?” Yunho’s voice cracked on the last question and his lips were pushed out in the smallest of pouts.

“No, Yunho, I promise it wasn’t you. I-“ Wooyoung dug his nails into his legs, pressing so hard he would have probably broken skin if his jeans weren’t in the way. “I-“

A plate shattered somewhere in the café and caused both of them to look at where Jongho was standing behind the counter with a shocked look on his face while looking down at his phone.

Grateful for the distraction, Wooyoung slid out of the booth and hurried over. “Jongho, are you ok?”

Seonghwa came running out of the back too and cried out when he saw the mess. “Jongho! What are you doing?”

But the younger ignored them both and his face broke out in a huge grin. “Hwa! He’s coming home!” He started bouncing in place and pressed his phone to his chest. “He’s coming home to see me!”

Wooyoung was confused as to what was going on, but it must have been a big deal because a smile tore across Seonghwa’s face too. “That’s great! When?”

“He said he should be able to in a couple of weeks! Can I get the time off, please?” Jongho stepped over the broken plate and tugged on Seonghwa’s apron.

“Of course, just get me the dates as soon as you can. Now clean this up.” Seonghwa arched his eyebrows and pointed at the floor, then spun around and returned to the kitchen.

Jongho blushed a little and grabbed a dustpan. Wooyoung crouched down to pick up larger pieces to help out. “Thanks.” Jongho said. “Sorry for the mess. I just can’t believe it.”

“Who’s coming home?” Wooyoung asked.

“My boyfriend. He travels for work so I don’t get to see him very often.” Jongho had the proudest look on his face when he looked up at Wooyoung. “He’s amazing and he works so hard. I feel so lucky to be with him.”

Wooyoung couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m sure any guy would be lucky to be with you.” He tried to keep the hint of sadness out of his voice when he was filled with a longing to be loved too.

But that wasn’t in the cards for him…

When he finished helping Jongho, he returned to his table to find Yunho had packed up his things and was sliding out of the booth. “Sorry, I need to get going.” He said, not fully looking Wooyoung in the eye.

“Oh…” Wooyoung stepped aside to get out of his way. “Same time tomorrow?” He asked hesitantly.

“Sounds good.” Yunho forced a smile then walked past without another word.

Wooyoung felt tears prick the corners of his eyes and quickly wiped them away. There was no reason to be upset, he had brought this on himself. He noticed Yunho had left some cash on the table and added to it with more of his own, not knowing how much was actually owed for the food, before leaving to go home.

He decided he needed to come up with a story to tell Yunho. He hated knowing that he had upset the older and he wanted to fix it.

Yunho deserved some sort of answer as to why Wooyoung had disappeared so suddenly.

And any story would be better than the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

Yunho knew it was shitty of him to just leave like that, but he would rather do that then sit around and watch Wooyoung blatantly avoid his questions or lie to him.

He just needed some time to cool off, that’s all, and then he’d be ok.

It didn’t even make any sense to him, why was he so upset about Wooyoung avoiding that question? He was used to people leaving the foster system all the time.

But he’d never been as close to any of them…

Yunho sighed and hurried back to his apartment. He was surprised to find it empty, having expected Mingi to at least be there.

Part of him was thankful, though. Now he could just stew in silence and work through his misplaced anger.

When he met Wooyoung the next day, he wanted to be happy to see him, not angry or upset. They had just reunited and he wasn’t about to lose him again.

In his bedroom, Yunho tossed his backpack aside fell back on his bed. He purposefully left the lights off so he could stare up at the soft, green stars glowing in his ceiling. He knew they were a little silly, but he had always loved looking up at the stars. They reminded him that there was so much more to life than his small issues.

And that’s what they did for him now. They reminded Yunho that he and Wooyoung used to lay out in the backyard and stargaze together. They would each lay down with their feet facing opposite directions so that they could place their heads right next to each other. It was the perfect position for them to have whispered conversations while pointing out shapes they’d find in the sky.

Yunho smiled and shook his head. He was so stupid, getting mad over something so petty.

He arrived early at the café the next day so he could be prepared for Wooyoung’s arrival. As soon as he saw Wooyoung walking up with Jongho he couldn’t help but smile. Jongho was talking passionately about something and gesturing with his hands in front of him, almost looking like he was outlining a sphere or something, and Wooyoung was just watching him with a soft grin.

But Yunho didn’t miss the reserved look in Wooyoung’s eyes. He was guarding himself, either that or just pretending he was listening or that he liked Jongho.

Whatever it was, Yunho would find out. Maybe not today, but when he had gained Wooyoung’s trust.

The younger waved hesitantly when he saw Yunho at the booth and slipped into his seat with a soft, “Hello.”

“Hey. How was class today?” Yunho asked.

“Fun, actually. I really like Professor Kim. He seems really knowledgeable. Today was just basics but it was a nice refresher.”

“Professor Kim?” Yunho turned his head to the side. “I think I’ve heard my dance instructor talk about him. Mr. Jung seems really fond of him.”

Wooyoung nodded and pulled out his notebook. “Are you ready to start?”

“Yes, but before we do, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday.” Yunho offered a small smile and reached over to place his hand over Wooyoung’s. “I’m really sorry for getting upset. I shouldn’t have let it bother me. You don’t owe me any answers right now and I don’t want to push you or make you uncomfortable.”

He watched as Wooyoung’s lower lip trembled a little and he balled his hand into a fist underneath Yunho’s. “Thank you. I… I just need some time.” Wooyoung didn’t look up when he spoke.

“Sure, I understand.” Yunho withdrew his hand and opened his math book. He knew he needed to respect Wooyoung’s wishes if he was going to earn his trust.

They spent the next couple of hours going over his work and Yunho was already starting to feel more confident. And the next few days went very much the same.

When they were finishing up on Friday, Yunho chewed on his lower lip and took a deep breath. “Would you like to come over tonight?” He asked, glancing hesitantly at Wooyoung.

The younger froze. He looked like he was warring with himself in his mind. Yunho hated seeing him like this, like… every decision was something he needed to debate with himself on and decide if it was safe or ok.

“That would be nice.” Wooyoung made an attempt to tuck his long hair behind his ear, but it was stubborn and kept falling loose and in his face. “Are you sure it won’t be problem with Mingi?”

“Nah, he won’t care.” Yunho flapped his hand back and forth. “Besides, there’s a chance he might be out with Hongjoong anyway. The two of them can’t keep their hands off each other, especially since Joong is going to be so busy preparing for that party in two weeks.” Yunho slipped out of the booth and shouldered his backpack.

“Well, maybe I can make you dinner then?”

“You don’t need to do that!”

“I want to. I enjoy cooking.” Wooyoung let Yunho help him out of the both and they both laid down some cash to pay for their food.

Seonghwa waved goodbye from where he was helping another customer before they ducked out the door.

“Well if you’re going to cook for us we should probably stop the the store.” Yunho rubbed the back of his head and gave a nervous chuckle. “Mingi and I don’t cook, so we live off a very stereotypical college diet, unless Hongjoong buys us food.”

“Wow, so tonight’s going to be a feast for you.” Wooyoung smirked and shook his head. “Yeah let’s stop then.”

“I’ll get everything and I won’t take no for an answer.” Yunho nudged Wooyoung’s shoulder and he looked like he was about to protest. “Come on, there’s a small store on the way home.”

The pair of them walked in a comfortable silence, even inside the store, although that’s when Wooyoung started mumbling to himself while going up and down the isles.

He grew very serious and would study packages or containers of spices carefully. There were a few times that Yunho had to hold back a smile when Wooyoung would put something in his basket then pull it out again and stare at it longer, or he would very slowly place it in the basket and walk away.

“This will last you awhile, it’s a good all around seasoning blend.” Wooyoung said at one point. “Really, you can use it on pretty much everything.”

“Awesome.” Yunho leaned over so that his head was level with Wooyoung’s and the two of them stared at the slices together. “There are so many.”

Wooyoung giggled and flashed a bright smile. “That’s one of the best things about cooking. You can just change one little thing and it becomes a whole new dish.”

“What made you get into this?” Yunho followed the younger around the store, railing behind him closely.

“I had taken a class in school.” Wooyoung pursed his lips and focused on something on the shelf. “Something clicked in me while doing it. I can get out of my head for a bit. Plus, food is comforting.”

“That’s true. What are you making?”

Wooyoung looked up and him and rocked in place. “I thought I’d make some fried chicken.”

“You… You can make that?” Yunho’s stomach grumbled at the thought and he could already feel his mouth watering.

Wooyoung hummed and smiled softly. “I can. Does that sound ok?”

“It sounds amazing! I’m going to text Mingi, he’s going to want to try it. Are you ok with making enough for four?”

The younger nodded slowly and bit his lip, then nodded a little faster. “Sure, that’s fine.”

Yunho pumped his fist while hissing, “Yes, yes, yes. This is going to be amazing!”

They finished up shopping quickly and Yunho had to consciously make himself walk slower when he realized Wooyoung was having a hard time keeping up. Sometimes he forgot his legs were so much longer than average.

When they arrived at his apartment, Yunho immediately went to the kitchen to start unloading the furniture.

Wooyoung stopped and glanced around the living room with what could almost be described as a look of wonder on his face.

“Are you ok?” Yunho asked after closing a cabinet.

“This is a really nice place.” Wooyoung said softly.

“Oh,” Yunho gave a breathy laugh and opened his fridge, “It’s really nothing special, but it works for now.” He didn’t get an answer, so he looked over his shoulder to see Wooyoung was still standing there. “Woo?”

The younger jumped a little, then quickly turned around. “Leave the chicken out. I let it get to room temperature before I start cooking it.”

Yunho nodded and did as he was asked. “What else do you need?”

“Things you probably don’t have.” Wooyoung teased. “But I’ll manage.” He walked into the kitchen and started rummaging around the cabinets. “Oh wow, you have a Dutch oven? I’m impressed.”

“Mingi’s mom sent him with a lot of her hand-me-down kitchen stuff in hopes it would inspire him to cook in college.” Yunho snorted and shook his head. “Honestly, neither of us know what most of this stuff is.”

“How have you been feeding yourself properly!” Wooyoung sounded appalled and shook his head before crouching down to go through more cabinets. “Especially with all the calories you burn dancing.”

“Hey I need to do something to work off all those cookies.” Yunho laughed and leaned against a counter and crossed his arms.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Wooyoung emerged holding a heavy black pan. “You have one of these?!”

“Um, yes?”

“Do you have any idea how expensive cast iron pans are? And how amazing they can be?” Wooyoung looked down and studied it for a moment. “It still looks to be in decent shape, but it needs a little work. I’m going to tell you this right now, if I ever see or hear that you’ve washed this with more than just soap I’m going to bash you over the head with it.”

Yunho winced and tried to retreat into himself, but at the same time he started laughing. “Alright, alright. We are bad kitchen owners, I get it.”

“No you don’t understand,” Wooyoung’s voice grew soft as he spoke and he looked almost lovingly at the pan, not noticing when the front door opened and both Mingi and Hongjoong walked in. “This pan could be home to so many memories. You don’t wash it because every time you cook in it, the seasonings and memories are left behind. Some cast iron pans will stay in families for generations. Mingi’s grandmother or even great grandmother could have cooked using this very pan. All her hard work, favorite recipes… even Mingi’s mom. She probably cooked all of Mingi’s favorite meals in it.”

Yunho locked eyes with Mingi and saw that he had a nostalgic look on his face. Even Hongjoong was smiling and leaning into Mingi’s shoulder.

“Sorry.” Wooyoung shook his head and sniffed. He quickly crouched down and placed the pan back in the cabinet, still oblivious to the new people in the room.

Yunho didn’t want to scare the younger, so he jerked his head at the front door a couple of times.

Hongjoong nodded and he and Mingi quietly walked back and made a show of opening the door louder than normal, the closing it behind them.

It still scared Wooyoung a little though because his head jerked up and he hit it on counter. “Ow…” He groaned and clutched the back of his head.

“Oh god, are you ok?” Yunho rushed forward and placed a hand on his back. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” Wooyoung had his right eye clenched close and his nose was scrunched adorably when he turned to look at Yunho. “I’m fine, it’s not your fault I’m a klutz.”

The older laughed nervously and glanced at where Mingi and Hongjoong were giving him amused looks. He helped Wooyoung stand and cleared his throat. “Woo, this is my roommate Mingi and his boyfriend Hongjoong, guys, this is Wooyoung.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Yunho has told me a lot about you.” Mingi bowed his head a little. “I’m excited to see you here, and not just because you’re making me my favorite food.”

Before Wooyoung had a chance to answer, Hongjoong rounded on him and backhanded his shoulder. “Is food all you think about, you big oaf? I swear it’s a miracle you can even fit into my designs anymore with how much you like to pack away.”

“It is not!” Mingi turned in a circle when Hongjoong walked around him and whined. “That’s not fair and you know it Joong, I work hard for you.”

Hongjoong disappeared into Mingi’s room but continued shouting, “And now I know it’s all for the food!”

Mingi let out another whine and bolted into his room.

As soon as the door closed, Yunho doubled in laughter. He slapped a hand to his mouth to try and muffle it. “I’m s-sorry, but that’s a perf-fect introduction to them.”

Wooyoung let out a delightful giggle and covered his mouth too. “I think it’s sweet.” He said after a moment. An almost sad look entered his eyes when he looked toward the bedroom door.

“Yeah, they’re great.” Yunho didn’t take his eyes off the younger. He longed to know what it was that haunted Wooyoung so that he could make it better. He hated seeing his friends in pain, but there was something about Wooyoung that made that feeling so much stronger.

He had always protected Wooyoung back at home, for everything he had needed. He had been Wooyoung’s shoulder to cry on, safety net on bad days, and the one who could always make him laugh.

Maybe, just maybe, he could be that again.


	7. Chapter 7

Wooyoung kept himself busy with preparing dinner. It was a nice distraction for the overwhelming atmosphere he was in and he tried not to think about how much he wanted to just go and hide away.

That state of mind needed to change.

Yunho was a nice person who wouldn't do anything to hurt him.

After he found everything he needed, Wooyoung filled the Dutch oven with oil and let it heat up while mixing flour and the seasoning he bought together in one pan, then beat some eggs in another.

"Wow, this looks complicated." Yunho said from where he was leaning against the counter.

"It's really not once it's all set up. Would you like to help me?" Wooyoung bit his lip and glanced over at him.

"Um, sure! What do you want me to do?" Yunho stepped closer and peered over Wooyoung's shoulder. The action reminded the younger just how much taller than him Yunho was and he fought to suppress a shiver.

"Watch the temperature on the oil, once it gets to where the line says 350/175 then it will be time to start cooking the chicken."

Yunho nodded several times and leaned forward to stare at the thermometer. "Right."

Wooyoung couldn't help but giggle and lifted a hand to cover his mouth. "You don't have to stare at it. Just keep an eye out because we don't want it to be too hot."

"Fascinating." Yunho's face lit up when his eyes flicked to meet Wooyoung's and he straightened up. "What else can I do?"

"Can I trust you with a knife so you can cut up the fruit?"

"Maybe?" Yunho chuckled and started pulling it out of the fridge.

A comfortable semi-silence fell over them as they worked. Wooyoung would fill the older in on what he was doing and Yunho always came over to watch with curious eyes.

At one point, Mingi tried to come and steal some of the chicken that was already done, but Wooyoung was quick to shoo him away, swatting at him with the towel in his hands.

It didn't take long for the food to be ready after that, though, and they all sat around the table together.

"Thank you for making this." Hongjoong said, picking up the chicken to examine it. "This is incredible."

"It's really not that big of a deal." Wooyoung squirmed in place a little. He wasn't used to getting all this attention. It was... nice.

"So, you were there with Yunho when I called about the invite, right?" Hongjoong cocked an eyebrow, then turned to glare at Mingi when he started chewing loudly. "Really?"

"Mmmht?" Mingi stopped and stared at his boyfriend with wide eyes. "Mmmwwrry." He slowly set down the chicken in his hands and dipped his head.

Hongjoong just rolled his eyes and focused on Wooyoung again. "Were you?"

"Yes, Joong, he was." Yunho sighed and sat back.

"Brilliant, so then you're coming?"

Wooyoung looked back and forth between Yunho and Hongjoong with wide eyes. "Um, I-"

"You don't have to." Yunho leaned over to him. "If it's too much for you."

The younger took a deep breath and licked his lips. An extravagant party sounded so overwhelming, but... he was working on changing his life. So, surprisingly, he found himself nodding. "Sure. I'd like to."

Hongjoong started clapping his hands. "Yes! I was hoping you'd say that. And don't worry about what you're going to wear, I will make you something."

Wooyoung started shaking his head immediately. "Please, you don't need to do that!"

"Just let him." Yunho chuckled and clapped his hand on Wooyoung's shoulder. "You'll never talk him out of it. He's going to design something for all of us. But don't go overboard, Joong."

Hongjoong waved his hand back and forth dismissively and took a bite of his chicken.

As scared as he was, Wooyoung couldn't help but feel a small tinge of excitement. He'd never done anything like this before and it was nice hearing that someone wanted to do something for him.

The rest of the evening passed with idle small talk, most of it just listening to the other three talk about things he didn't understand. But he was more than happy to just listen.

When he got up to start cleaning the kitchen, Mingi and Hongjoong immediately shooed him away, so he ended deciding it was probably time for him to go home. He needed to be sure to take all his medicine anyway.

"Do you want me to walk you?" Yunho asked when he mentioned his plan.

"No, no. I'm all the way on the other side of campus. I'd hate to put you out of your way. I'll be fine, thanks though." Wooyoung gave him a grateful smile and let himself out of the apartment.

The smile never fully left his face the entire walk home. It was nice to finally feel like he was fitting in, or he at least had people who had accepted him. That could change in the future, but Wooyoung was determined to make sure that never happened. 

Surprisingly, the weeks leading up to this big party went fairly quickly.

Wooyoung found that he really liked being partners with Jongho in both his classes. They worked well together and Jongho was eager to learn and please.

Professor Kim had really taken a liking to them too and had started giving them more complicated tasks once he realized how proficient Wooyoung really was. It earned them a few glares and muttered remarks from their classmates, but one harsh look from Jongho usually shut them up.

On the third day of class he had proven his strength to all of them by splitting apples when Wooyoung fell behind on a task and had asked him to cut them up.

Professor Kim had been fascinated by it and mentioned something about testing Jongho more in the future.

The praise and attention had made the boy puff out his chest and on the walk to the café he kept mentioning how much he couldn't wait to tell his boyfriend about this.

Studying with Yunho was fun too. He was already getting better at math, so they started spending more and more time just talking about their days. He loved hearing about what Wooyoung and Jongho were making together, and he grew even more excited when Wooyoung brought him a small portion.

Sometimes they were joined by Mingi and Hongjoong when the designer needed to grill Wooyoung about his likes and interests in fashion. He would jot down notes or take measurements whenever he could.

It wasn't until the day of that Wooyoung finally got to see what Hongjoong had created. The older had asked to meet him at his apartment, which Wooyoung had been hesitant to agree to but he couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to say no.

He quickly made it look as nice as he could and tried to fight off the embarrassment he felt at having only a studio apartment to call home. All morning was spent cleaning and rearranging furniture. At one point he heard his alarm go off on his phone and went to the bathroom to grab his pills, but then he heard a sound outside that drew his attention.

Hongjoong knocked politely on his front door and Wooyoung greeted him with as big of a smile as he could. "Hey, come on in."

"I can't wait for you to see this." Hongjoong hurried inside, carefully cradling a garment bag over his arms. "I think it's one of the best ones yet. I didn't want to get too to fancy since that's not your style, but this is still a big event so you need to blend in while also sticking out." He was talking incredibly fast and Wooyoung just walked next to him and nodded along.

"That sounds great."

Hongjoong paused for a second and looked around the apartment with a scrutinizing gaze. For a second it looked like there might have been some worry or concern, but he was quick to cover it up. "This is a nice place you have here. Nice and cozy." He turned to face Wooyoung. "Alright, go ahead and get changed for me. I can turn around to give you some privacy."

Wooyoung took the bundle with a nod and waited for Hongjoong to face away from him, then pulled off his shirt and jeans. He slowly opened the garment bag and gasped when he saw what was waiting for him inside. "Hongjoong, it's too much."

"Oh shush. Just try it on please." The designer waved his hand back and forth to dismiss Wooyoung's protests.

With a soft sigh, Wooyoung pulled out the suit and felt the material between his fingers. It was like butter... so soft and smooth.

The outfit was all black, consisting of tight fitting pants that showed off his legs, a simple black dress shirt, and a black jacket to wear on top.

As soon as he was done, Hongjoong turned around and started to clap. "I knew you'd look perfect in black." He hurried forward and started to fuss over everything, tugging on the jacket to make sure it sat right, straightening out the pant legs and looking at them to make sure they fit, smoothing out the shirt.

He even unbuttoned a couple of extra buttons and winked at Wooyoung while doing so. "You've got an incredible body, show it off." He said in a gentle voice. "Hell if I wasn't taken I know I'd be interested."

Wooyoung's jaw dropped a little and he tried to find the words to say, but he was at a complete loss.

"It's a compliment." Hongjoong met his eyes and stepped back. "You're not used to getting those, are you?" He nodded when he received silence as an answer. "Yunho's told us a little about his history with you. It doesn't sound like you've had an easy life, and I'm so sorry. But if you're willing to trust us, we can be a family to you. If you want, that is. I don't want to force you into anything. But I think Yunho would like that too. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time."

"Really? He's exactly like I remember." Wooyoung started to pick at his fingers again and immediately received a playful swat from Hongjoong.

"Don't do that! And maybe it's because he's only that way with you." The older flashed a knowing looked before reaching into a bag he had brought with him.

Wooyoung was a little confused by his words. Why would Yunho act differently with him after what he had done? He wasn't anything special anyway...

"Here." Hongjoong brought him out of his thoughts and held up a black choker. "Your neck is perfect for this." He reached around to fasten it around Wooyoung's neck. It was just tight enough that it would lay flat against Wooyoung's skin, but not tight enough to be uncomfortable. Another gold necklace with a black stone was also added. "Perfect. With a little makeup you're going to have all the girls and boys fawning over you or trying to take you home." 

"I don-"

"I'm just kidding."

Wooyoung could feel his anxiety rising again, although he did his best to fight it off. He didn't want it to ruin this evening, especially knowing how important it was for Hongjoong.

"Now, let's get you finished up and then we can go. Mingi and Yunho are meeting us there, I didn't want to overwhelm you."

For a moment, Wooyoung thought about backing out. But the kind look Hongjoong gave him was something he hadn't received in a long time. No matter what happened, Wooyoung was determined to do his best to have a good time, and he was so thankful that Hongjoong and the others had taken that into consideration. "Thank you." He whispered.

"Don't worry about it! You're one of us now, and I'll do anything I can to help you and make you feel comfortable. You'll be happy to know there will be a few other familiar faces there tonight. I hired Seonghwa to cater desserts, so both he and Jongho will be there too."

"Oh really?" Wooyoung perked up at that idea and couldn't help the wide smile that crossed his face.

Hongjoong hummed and pulled out a bag of makeup that he started to lightly apply to the younger's face. "God you're stunning. You really don't need much of this." He muttered with a small grin. "And I'll admit, I did that more for Jongho than anything. I wanted to give him a chance to see his boyfriend."

"Wait, what?" Wooyoung blinked a couple of times. Jongho had mentioned to him earlier that week that he was excited to see his boyfriend again after a long time, but there was nothing said about tonight. "You know..."

"I do. You'll see, I'm not technically allowed to say anything. Also when we get there you will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, just so you know. It's no big deal, just don't repeat anything you hear at the party or divulge anything to the greedy news people."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Hongjoong tapped Wooyoung's nose and chuckled. "I know. Now, let's go have some fun, shall we?"

Wooyoung gave a shy nod and looked at himself in the mirror. His mouth opened a little in shock and he stepped closer.

He really did look handsome in the suit. It fit him perfectly. And whatever Hongjoong had done gave him a soft glow that accented his features.

The designer laughed behind him and Wooyoung turned to see him looking at his phone with a loving look. With a shake of his head, Hongjoong pocketed it looked at Wooyoung. "Come on, we should go. Someone's is anxious to see us, and I don't mean Mingi."

"Hongjoong, I-" Wooyoung hesitated. He didn't understand why Hongjoong was talking like this. Yunho was just a friend, and really he had been Wooyoung's brother even if it was only for a year.

"It's ok. I'm sure it'll wear off in time. I think it's just the excitement of seeing you again. But Yunho's a good man. Maybe you should give him a chance." Hongjoong walked to the front door and stepped outside.

Wooyoung felt his chest tighten a little as he reached for his keys and followed.

He didn't know how he felt about this. There were so many things that he couldn't tell them as to why it would never work with Yunho and he didn't want to lead his friend on. He wasn't even sure he could return feelings like that, not after what had happened to him.

Maybe if he didn't acknowledge it then everything would stay normal and Yunho would forget about it. Wooyoung wasn't sure he could bring himself to tell Yunho directly.

This was such a mess.

"Are you coming?" Hongjoong poked his head back in the apartment.

"Yeah, sorry." Wooyoung hurried forward and locked up.

"I didn't mean to stress you out. Maybe I just reading too much into things. Mingi and I have been trying to set Yunho up for years. It could just be wishful thinking on my part." Hongjoong said while they walked to his private car. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's ok." Wooyoung answered quickly. Just hearing that was enough to melt some of his worries. If there really was nothing there then he shouldn't stress about it.

Tonight was about having fun and letting loose.

And that's exactly what he was going to try and do.


	8. Chapter 8

Yunho hummed happily to himself while he finished straightening out his suit. Hongjoong had done it yet again and made another masterpiece, perfectly tailoring the navy blue cloth to fit his skin. He had a white dress shirt on underneath his jacket and a lighter blue tie to give a little contrast in color.

Mingi stood next to him in suit of black and silver. Only the best for Hongjoong’s beloved.

They waited in front of the venue for Hongjoong and Wooyoung, and Yunho couldn’t help but keep glancing at his phone. People streamed passed them, presenting their invitations to the bouncer all chatting excitedly about the events of the night.

“Would you calm down?” Mingi chuckled next to him.

“You don’t think he would have changed his mind at the last minute, do you?” Yunho picked at his lower lip nervously.

“And why would it matter if he did?” Mingi arched and eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Yunho, you like him, don’t you?”

Yunho jerked his head to the side and looked at his friend with wide eyes. “What?! Don’t be ridiculous Mingi. H-He is, was, a brother to me. I just know there’s something up with him and I’d like to make sure he’s ok. That’s all.”

Mingi gave him a skeptical look. “What do you mean something is up?”

“I don’t know. He’s… different. Something changed with him, or… someone hurt him. He’s too guarded and reserved, not like the Wooyoung I used to know.”

“A lot can happen to someone in five years. Don’t take it too personally.” Mingi said gently. “Besides, you should perk up. They are here.”

A black car pulled up and one of the attendants stepped forward to open the door. Hongjoong stepped out first looking amazing as always in a maroon suit and gold jewelry.

When Wooyoung stepped out behind him, Yunho couldn’t help but let his jaw drop a little. He looked absolutely stunning.

The pair of them walked forward and Hongjoong beamed with pride. “Sorry we’re late! Shall we go in?” He looped his arm with Mingi and led them forward.

Yunho cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Wow, Woo, you look… Wow.”

“Thanks. Hongjoong d-did a great job.” Wooyoung looked down and followed after the others.

Before Yunho could say anything else, they were ushered inside and presented with paperwork to sign. Mingi had mentioned this, so he had no problem with signing it, although he didn’t know why.

Until they stepped into the main ballroom.

His jaw dropped once more at the large sign hanging over the far wall reading ‘Congratulations Moonchild!’.

He looked at Hongjoong, who winked at him before pulling Mingi over to talk to some of his other designer friends.

“No way.” Wooyoung whispered next to him. “Isn’t Moonchild like, a super popular idol group?” He glanced up at Yunho.

“Yeah.” Yunho glanced at the sign once more, then started to bounce in place. “Youngie, we are at a celebrity party! Oh my gosh!”

Wooyoung laughed next to him, watching him jump in place now before looking around the room. “Hey look! Jongho and Seonghwa are over there. Let’s go say hi, it’ll help me feel like I belong here.”

Yunho didn’t argue and the two of them wove through the crowd of people over to a long table lined with desserts.

“Wooyoung!” Jongho waved as soon as he saw them, sparking Seonghwa to turn as well. “I can’t believe you are here!”

“Yeah, we have an in.” Wooyoung smiled.

“Well help yourself, we made plenty.” Seonghwa motioned to the table. “And you,” he rounded on Jongho and pulled out his phone, “give me thirty more minutes of your time and then I’ll let you go since you were supposed to have tonight off anyway.”

“Wait, is tonight the night you were supposed to see your boyfriend?” Wooyoung asked, sounding concerned.

Yunho and Seonghwa exchanged a glance while pressing their lips together. Jongho must not have told Wooyoung who his boyfriend was.

“Yeah, but I’m still going to get to see him.” Jongho beamed and opened his mouth to speak again when applause drew their attention to a large stage that had been set up at the far end of the room. This sparked him to cover his mouth with a hand and tears came to his eyes.

Yunho thought it was cute how excited he got. He turned to the stage as well and watched the guests of honor walk onto the stage.

Moonchild was here.

And god they were even more gorgeous in person.

The duo bowed and waved their hands several times in greeting, shouting thank you’s to their fans.

Yunho felt something brush against his arm and he looked down to see Wooyoung eyeing the crowd nervously. “Are you ok?” He asked, leaning over to mutter in the younger’s ear.

“Yeah.” Wooyoung said quickly.

“Come on, let’s go get a drink.”

“That sounds amazing.” Wooyoung sighed and eagerly followed after Yunho, who ended up reaching back to take his hand so that they didn’t get separated in the crowd. He could feel Wooyoung squeezing it in return and a smile tugged at his lips.

They found the bar easily and ordered drinks to ease their nerve. It was easy to see that everyone here was woven into this community in one way or another. Hongjoong dragged Mingi around to talk to several people, never stopping to take a moment for themselves as they mingled.

Music started to play over the speakers and soon people gathered in the middle to start dancing.

Wooyoung and Yunho eventually worked their way back to stand with Seonghwa and Jongho, which ended up being perfect because at one point, the crowd parted and they watched as one of the member’s of Moonchild ran forward to embrace Jongho in a crushing hug.

“Sannie!” Jongho picked him up off the ground and spun him around in circles, bringing forth a string of bright giggles from the singer.

“Oh, Jong, I’m so glad you’re here! I’ve missed you so damn much.”

Several people around them ‘aww’d’ at the sight before returning to their own conversations to give them some privacy.

When they broke the hug, Jongho cupped San’s face and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

“Wow.” Wooyoung whispered. “No wonder he couldn’t stop talking about him but gave nothing away.”

“Right?” Yunho chuckled.

“Guys, this is San.” Jongho turned and wrapped an arm around his boyfriends waist, pulling him in close. “San, this is Seonghwa, Yunho, and Wooyoung.”

“Hi! I’ve heard a lot about you.” San smiled brightly, crinkling his eyes and drawing forth a pair of dimples. He looked so drastically different than when he was on stage. Here he was soft and cute, even in a pair of leather, form fitting pants and a glittering, sheer purple top that hung loosely from his shoulders. “This is my partner, Yeosang.” He motioned behind him for the other half of his duo to step forward.

Yeosang was just as stunning. He was dressed similarly to San, only his top was bright red. They both had smokey eyeshadow to match and glittering jewels on their faces. “Hello.” Yeosang said with a surprisingly deep voice. “It’s nice to meet you.” His eyes fell on each of them, but they lingered on Wooyoung the longest.

Yunho noticed him getting a little flustered under the idol’s gaze and stepped forward. “Your music is amazing, congratulations on your award.” He said, holding his hand out for Yeosang to shake.

The idol took it happily and smiled. “Thank you. It’s been a long time coming, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, definitely.” Yunho agreed. “I hope your career continues to grow from here!”

The conversation halted there, none of them really knowing what else to say. It was obvious that they were all here for either San or Jongho, and the pair of them had quickly vanished to the dance floor.

“I need another drink.” Wooyoung muttered before disappearing into the crowd before Yunho could follow.

“Are you ok?” Seonghwa asked, moving to stand next to him. He held up a cookie, which Yunho took with a sigh.

“Yeah, this is just a lot.”

“Tell me about it.” Seonghwa leaned against his table. “So what’s going on with you and Wooyoung?”

“Not you too.” Yunho groaned through a mouthful of cookie. He quickly swallowed and shook his head. “There is nothing going on!”

“Then why is it you can’t take your eyes off him?”

Yunho rolled his eyes in response. “Am I not allowed to just be worried about a friend? For the love of god.” He walked away before anything else could be said.

Why was everyone hounding him tonight? He didn’t understand. Was he really not allowed to just be concerned? Why did this have to mean he had feelings for Wooyoung?

But even as he grumbled to himself, Yunho was scanning the crowd for signs of the younger.

He accepted another drink from one of the waiters and started to circle slowly. His eyes found Mingi immediately. His best friend was near the center of the dance floor twirling Hongjoong in circles. The designer was laughing joyfully and shaking his head.

They were almost sickeningly cute, but Yunho was so happy for them. They had found their person, the one who completed them in ways no one else could. It was something everyone wished for.

A little bit away, San and Jongho were swaying together, foreheads connected San’s arms around Jongho’s neck.

Yunho once again found himself marveling at how different San was now that he was with Jongho. It was like he was an entirely different person, especially with how clingy he could be with Yeosang on camera. But that just went to show how much they catered to fan service.

More and more people seemed to filter into the party as the night drew on, and soon it had been over an hour since Yunho had seen Wooyoung. He was two more drinks in by now and feeling a very pleasant buzz as he wandered through the crowd.

If he didn’t have an obligation to be here he probably would have left a long time ago, but he had promised Hongjoong he would stay and support him. Although what exactly he was supporting he had no idea.

He was willing to bet it was something Hongjoong had said to convince him to come tonight.

The music grew louder as Yunho found himself meandering closer to the stage. Every few steps was dragged against the ground and he huffed in disgust at a couple making out in the corner. The girl had one leg wrapped around the guy’s waist and she had his hair fisted in both hands.

Lucky bastard.

Maybe that was why Seonghwa and Mingi were bugging him. It had been awhile since he’d been on any kind of a date, but less slept with someone. There just wasn’t time with how dedicated he to becoming a choreographer. Plus there really wasn’t anyone who had caught his eye.

Or had they?

Yunho took another swig of his drink and licked his lips, then paused when he saw Wooyoung leaning against a pillar with his hands behind his back. Someone else was in front of him, but there were too many people for Yunho to make out who it was.

Wooyoung looked like he was in between feeling relaxed an anxious. His eyes were focused on whoever was in front of him and he nodded along politely.

A waiter walked by them and Wooyoung accepted one of the drinks, clinking glasses with the guest and taking two long gulps.

Yunho moved forward a little and paused when he saw that it was Yeosang. The idol stepped closer to Wooyoung and reached out to gently grab the black stone necklace around Wooyoung’s neck, leaning forward to admire it.

Wooyoung blushed in response and shifted in place.

Something bubbled up in Yunho’s stomach while watching them, something he didn’t understand… but he didn’t like the uneasy look on Wooyoung’s face.

If Yeosang was making him uncomfortable in any way, then he should just leave.

And yet Yunho knew Wooyoung was too polite to do that.

So he hurried forward and waved to gain Wooyoung’s attention. “Youngie! There you are.” He could feel the slight drawl to his voice and pushed it aside.

Wooyoung stood up straighter and had a look of what Yunho took to be relief on his face, while Yeosang quirked his lips to the side and narrowed his eyes.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Come on, let’s dance! Excuse us.” Yunho bowed his head to Yeosang before grabbing Wooyoung’s hand and pulling him away.

They pushed their way to the far end of the dance floor where there were less people crowding them. Wooyoung immediately leaned into Yunho’s side and said, “Thank you.”

“Are you ok?” Yunho stooped down to look him in the eye. Wooyoung seemed to swim in front of his vision a little, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from checking on his friend.

The younger looked around nervously and bit his lip. “Can we go? I- I don’t…”

“Say no more.” Yunho stood up and swayed in place while scanning the crowd for Mingi, for where there was a Mingi, there would be a Hongjoong and the ticket to getting Hongjoong’s car.

He never let go of Wooyoung’s hand, seeking a little comfort in the connection as he flagged down his friend.

“What’s up?” Mingi asked once he was closer.

“We are going to go, can we take Hongjoong’s car?” Yunho asked.

Mingi nodded immediately and looked him up and down. “Yeah you need to get to bed. Make sure you take some medicine and drink some water, ok?”

Yunho just waved him off and accepted the valet ticket, pulling Wooyoung behind him. “Come on, let’s get you home.” He said, downing the last of his drink and watching Wooyoung do the same before they left the party behind them.


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as Wooyoung had been able to, he slipped away from the crowd. This was all so overwhelming, and he was starting to question why he had even let the others talk him into coming out. One thing was for sure, all of these people… he was way outside of his comfort zone.

He wasn’t sure how many drinks he had had over the course of the evening, but he did not hesitate to grab another one before finding somewhere off to the side to stand.

All he needed to do was just take a step back and calm his racing heart, then he would be fine. Or that’s what Wooyoung kept telling himself.

When he found a pillar to lean against, Wooyoung took a big gulp of his drink and felt himself relax as the buzz he was feeling slowly increased. He let his eyes wander over all the people he would rather not be around and found himself about to bubble over with mixed feelings.

He longed for the kind of connection these people had. No… He _craved_ it.

Seeing Jongho and San together… It made Wooyoung so sad. And he hated feeling that way. He should be happy for Jongho!

But instead, he was sitting here wishing for the life Jongho had.

Why did he have to be born the way he was?

Tears started to prick the corner of Wooyoung’s eyes and he lifted his drink to his lips.

“Why are you over here all my yourself?” A deep, silky voice whispered from behind him.

Wooyoung squeaked and jumped in place, then turned to see Yeosang leaning against the pillar next to him. An amused smirk crossed the idol’s face and his eyes slowly drifted up and down.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Yeosang stood up straight and bowed his head in respect.

“It’s ok.” Wooyoung felt all the heat rush to his face and he looked down.

To say Yeosang was attractive was a blatant lie. He had to be one of the most beautiful men Wooyoung had ever seen.

So what on earth was he doing standing in front of Wooyoung?

“This is quite the party, isn’t it?” Yeosang asked, looking around the hall.

“Y-Yeah, it’s nice.” Wooyoung glanced down at his glass and swirled it in circles.

Yeosang chuckled and moved to stand in front of Wooyoung, forcing him back against the pillar once more. “You don’t have to be shy with me, just pretend I’m a normal person.”

Wooyoung looked up to be met with an inquisitive look and he took a deep breath. “Sorry, I just d-don’t do well at things like this.”

When a waiter walked buy, he quickly grabbed a full glass and let Yeosang clink their glasses together before taking two gulps. He needed to relax somehow, especially since Yeosang seemed to have no intention of leaving him alone.

“Well, I would have never guessed that.” Yeosang moved a little closer and leaned forward while reaching out to grab Wooyoung’s necklace. “You most certainly look the part. Are you sure you’re not just saying that to be nice? Or to try and trick me?”

“I- I would…”

“Youngie! There you are.”

Wooyoung looked up to see Yunho waving to get his attention and felt a wave of relief wash over him. He could feel Yeosang shifting in place next to him, but couldn’t take his eyes off his friend. Yunho was exactly who he needed right now.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Come on, let’s dance! Excuse us.” Yunho bowed to Yeosang, then grabbed Wooyoung’s hand and pulled him away.

He allowed Yunho to lead him through the swarms of people. Once they were far enough away, he leaned into the taller’s side. “Thank you.”

“Are you ok?” Yunho bent over to be at eye level with the younger. They both swayed in place a little and continued to lean on each other for support.

“Can we go? I- I don’t…”

“Say no more.” Yunho stood up and swayed again while looking around the room.

Wooyoung barely registered what was happening when Yunho started guiding him through the swarms of people once more, but he did feel his hand securely held in Yunho’s much larger one. that was the only anchor he needed right now.

Soon enough, they were outside and waiting for Hongjoong’s car to arrive. The valet had paged his driver and he was expected any minute now.

Wooyoung already felt so much lighter now that he was outside. The cool air was so crisp and refreshing. He let his head fall back and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.

Then he was leaning into Yunho, who had turned to look at him, so now his chest was at the perfect angle for Wooyoung to nestle into it. “S-Sorry.” He said while starting to pull away.

But Yunho surprised him but wrapping his arms around him. “’Sss ok.” The taller murmured.

They stood there for a few more minutes, slowly swaying back and forth.

And Wooyoung loved every second of it.

His mind started to wander when he tried to figure out when the last time someone had even just _hugged_ him.

Oh, how he wanted more…

The sound of a car engine pulled Wooyoung from his thoughts and both he and Yunho turned to watch Hongjoong’s car up next to them. Once parked, the valet opened the door for them to slip inside.

Yunho immediately pulled Wooyoung to him again by wrapping an arm around him as they settled into the back seat.

Normally Wooyoung would push him away, too afraid of letting things get too far, but his alcohol-addled brain wasn’t thinking straight, and he once again welcomed the warm embrace.

As the car started to move, Yunho tilted his head to rest it on top of Wooyoung’s. “Are you ok?”

Wooyoung hummed. “Yes, now that I’m out of there.”

“Yeah, that was a lot, even for me.”

It didn’t take long for them to reach Wooyoung’s apartment building. Something in the back of his mind told him to tell Yunho to just stay in the car, but the older was slipping out before Wooyoung could even form the words.

He pulled Wooyoung behind him once more and helped him stand. “C’mon. Let’s get you ‘nnnside.”

That sounded very nice. “I’m up there.” Wooyoung pointed to the stairs with an awkward wave of his hand.

Yunho tilted his head to the side to study it, then perked up. He let out a mischievous giggle while crouching over. “Get on!”

“What?” Wooyoung blinked several times. His foggy mind couldn’t quite process what Yunho was implying, and yet he was leaning forward to climb onto Yunho’s back.

The pair of them started laughing as they walked up the stairs one at a time, relying heavily on the bannisters to get them to their desired level.

Wooyoung fished his keys out of his pocket and dangled them in front of Yunho’s face before they ended up on the ground. “Oops.” He giggled and slid off the taller’s back.

“I got it.” Yunho groaned and picked them up, then fumbled with the lock. It took him a few tries, but he finally managed to open the door, which resulted in him stumbling forward onto his knees.

“Yunnie!” Wooyoung cried out and hurried forward, worried the older had hurt himself.

But all Yunho was doing was rolling around in his entryway laughing.

They pair of them fell into another fit of giggles as they picked themselves up and closed the front door.

Yunho looked around the apartment with an appraising glance. “This place is nice.”

“No, it’s not. It’s pathetic, just like me.” Wooyoung found himself saying. Who on earth would be proud of a studio apartment?

“You are not pathetic, Woo.” Yunho spun around and glared at him. “Where on earth would you ever get that idea?”

“B-But I am.” Big, fat tears started to roll down Wooyoung’s cheeks and he turned away from his friend. “I h-have n-nothing and n-n-no one. I-“

Arms wrapped around Wooyoung from behind and he felt Yunho’s lips and nose press into the top of his head. “Stop…” Yunho whispered. He tightened his grip on the younger and took a deep breath. “You have me.”

Wooyoung felt his heart shatter at the words. He didn’t know what he wanted or who he was, but what Yunho said… right now they sounded good.

“You have me.” Yunho said again before turning his head to the side and kissed the side of Wooyoung’s neck.

It was a timid action, one that showed Yunho was hesitant and testing the waters.

Normally by now Wooyoung would be pushing off all advances. He couldn’t risk it. He had made a vow to not ruin any lives because of what he was.

And especially with this being Yunho. They were just friends. Brothers.

But this was not like normal times, and he was not thinking normal thoughts.

Instead, he tilted his head to the side and let out the softest of moans.

This spurred Yunho on to continue the kisses. He also raised his hands up to start unbuttoning Wooyoung’s shirt. His long, nimble fingers made quick work of each one. The tips would brush against Wooyoung’s exposed skin, sending shivers down his spine.

For a moment, he debated stopping this now. That little voice in the back of his head told him it was a bad idea…

But then Yunho growled and spun Wooyoung around to pin him against the wall before claiming his lips.

If Wooyoung was shivering before, the fire that rushed through him chased that all away.

Yunho’s lips were full and luscious, and they worked furiously to map every inch of his own. Wooyoung couldn’t help but moan at the feeling of what was arguably the best kiss he had ever received.

Not that he had many to compare it to, but still.

Yunho placed on hand on the side of Wooyoung’s neck and cupped his cheek with the other to tilt Wooyoung’s head back a little, then ran his tongue over Wooyoung’s lips.

When he parted them, Yunho’s tongue dipped in to roam over every inch he could reach. Which was a lot.

Wooyoung could have sworn Yunho could reach the back of his throat with how overwhelmed he suddenly felt.

He groaned in response and wrapped his arms around Yunho’s chest, needing something to anchor himself.

After a few minutes of passionate kissing, Yunho started to guide them back to Wooyoung’s bed. They both started pulling off their clothes, leaving them discarded on the floor until they were both shirtless.

When they reached the bed, Yunho grabbed the back of Wooyoung’s head to cradle it while guiding him down, then covered the younger with his broad frame.

Their lips started to travel over different parts of each other’s bodies, kissing, licking, and tasting every inch of skin they could reach.

Yunho also started to grind his hips against Wooyoung’s thigh. It was so hard and _big._ Wooyoung gasped in response and dug his nails into Yunho’s shoulders.

Things started to escalate quickly from there.

Alcohol… Lust… Desire… Selfishness…

They all drove Wooyoung forward to allow his dress pants and boxers to be removed from his body. He watched with glazed eyes as Yunho stripped himself as well before hurrying forward to continue his administrations.

His large hands touched, squeezed, and pulled on what they could.

Wooyoung’s mind started to slip away from him, but he knew the second Yunho fumbled in his nightstand for the lube he mumbled was there and started to finger him open.

It was glorious.

He had never felt so amazing.

And he worked hard to push that little voice away, which became easy to do when Yunho was raking three fingers against his prostate and Yunho was egging him on by begging for him to continue the sounds he was making.

Before he knew it, Wooyoung’s legs were being spread wide and Yunho was thrusting into him at a quick pace. He slammed his hips repeatedly into Wooyoung while searching for his mouth to continue their passionate kisses.

“Woo…” Yunho groaned. “Fuck. Woo!” He lowered his head down to drag his teeth along Wooyoung’s neck, nipping at the skin there.

Wooyoung cried out when he felt his stomach tightening, begging for release. He reached between their bodies and started stroking himself until he found his release.

Yunho reached his moments later and thrust deep inside Wooyoung. His length pulsed several times as he filled Wooyoung with his seed.

Already, Wooyoung could feel himself slipping away. Everything was so hazy and distant. He felt warmth surrounding him… and arms… holding him close. His head was heavy… so, so heavy…

And soon… he was pulled away from reality and into an uneasy sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing Wooyoung registered when he woke up was how much his head hurt. Just the thought of lifting it even a centimeter off his pillow seemed like too much effort.

So he turned his head slightly to nuzzle into it and willed himself to fall back asleep. It was Sunday. He had nowhere he needed to be. Although nursing a hangover was not something he had wanted to do either.

He hadn’t planned on drinking so much last night, but there had been so many people at the party….

Wooyoung took a deep breath and ran through the events of the evening to make sure he remembered everything.

He still couldn’t believe Yeosang, _the_ Yeosang of Moonchild, had been flirting with him! That hat to be something his alcohol riddled mind had made up.

Or did it?

Right as Wooyoung started to smell bacon frying, he remembered Yunho pulling him away.

Realization slammed into him and he pushed himself up so fast the world swam before his eyes. He groaned and pressed the heels of his hangs against his eyelids as if the pressure would make everything go away.

Only when he saw red did he lower his hands and open his is eyes. The second he saw he had no shirt on confirmed his worst fears.

How could he be so reckless?

“Good morning.” Yunho’s hesitant voice came from the directions of his stove.

Wooyoung immediately pulled his blanket up to cover himself, bringing it up to his chin and clutching it like it could shield him from the events of last night.

He knew he wasn’t hiding his emotions and looked like a deer in headlights… but how else was he supposed to react?

Yunho quirked his lips to the side and leaned back against the counter. “I, uh, hope you don’t mind… but I made some breakfast. We both probably need it.”

Wooyoung couldn’t even respond. His mind and heart were racing faster than what was considered healthy.

_How could he have been so reckless?_

All the precautions… All the warnings…

Wooyoung lifted a hand to his mouth and shook his head.

“Yeah… I feel the same.” Yunho looked down. “Look, I’m really sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have let it get so far.” He let out a long sigh and ran his hands through his hair. “Can you forgive me?”

There was nothing to forgive. Wooyoung knew this was his fault. Yunho had done nothing wrong… Not really, at least not in Wooyoung’s eyes.

And yet he couldn’t bring himself to speak the words that were trapped deep within him. They kept getting pushed aside by all the questions battering his skull. There were so many he couldn’t keep them straight.

Yunho watched him for a few minutes before nodding. Wooyoung just now noticed that he was wearing his shirt and pants from the night before and his jacked was draped over a chair. He had also gathered Wooyoung’s clothes and set them, neatly folded, on his couch.

“I can see you need some time…” Yunho said softly. “So I’ll go. Make sure you eat something and get some rest. I’ll call you later to make sure you’re ok.”

The older waited another minute, and when he didn’t get any form of a response or reaction from Wooyoung, he turned and saw himself out.

That’s when the tears came.

Wooyoung brought the blanket up to his eyes and openly sobbed. When it felt like too much effort to stay sitting up, he fell onto his side and curled into as tight of a ball as he could.

He could feel how sore he was and that brought on a whole new wave of dread.

How… How could he let this happen? He had spent years preparing himself to take precautions. That’s what the pills were for.

Pills…

Wooyoung made a sound like a distressed groan and shot out of bed. He made sure to grab his phone before running to his bathroom.

His first attempt to grab his pills sent the bottle flying to the floor. He had to scramble after it ad nearly face-planted in his haste.

Once he did get ahold of them, he dumped them out on the counted and opened the calendar app on his phone.

He counted them three times. And each time made him spiral deeper into and ugly despair that he knew would be nearer impossible to escape from.

There was an extra pill.

That meant he had missed a day. He quickly ran through the past week in his mind and knew it was yesterday… Hongjoong being here had distracted him.

Wooyoung felt numb as he slowly returned the pills one by one to their bottle.

More than anything, he felt like his life was over… The pills were designed to prevent pregnancy for Carriers, but the formula had yet to be perfected.

They only worked if taken at the same time every day, designed to slowly build up a ‘tolerance’ and adjusting his hormones to decrease the chance of pregnancy. Or that’s how the doctor described it.

His other medication could be taken whenever because it helped with his anxiety, but these… Missing just one day ruined the amount of the drunk running through his system and it would take three weeks to build it back up again.

By then it would be too late…

Wooyoung knew there was a chance that he was worrying for nothing, but it was a small one. Because the male body had been evolving to help bare children, the fertility rate of Carriers was extremely high.

It took him a long time to leave the bathroom, and once he did, all he was able to do was crawl back under the covers on his bed.

Wooyoung felt like everything was spiraling out of control. Maybe he should have never left The Home… At least there they would have made sure nothing like this ever happened.

.

.

.

.

Yunho ended up walking home after leaving Wooyoung’s apartment. He needed time to clear his head and process everything that had happened.

But mostly he just needed time to mentally attack himself.

He was so upset. How could he have done that? This was why he didn’t enjoy drinking, it made people do foolish things.

When he had woken up and saw Wooyoung sleeping next to him, he already felt guilty for sleeping with him. That was something they should have discussed before it ever happened.

But even then, this was something that shouldn’t have happened to begin with. Sure, Yunho had been really happy to see Wooyoung again after all these years, but they had been brothers!

Yunho roared and turned to punch the wall he hand been walking next to out of frustration. “Stupid!! You idiot!!” Pain shot up his arm and all Yunho could think was that he deserved it.

He couldn’t even really remember sleeping with Wooyoung, it was all just flashes and images in his mind by now.

By the time he arrived at his apartment, Yunho had sworn off drinking ever again.

The door was unlocked, so Yunho forced himself to take a deep breath to prepare himself for what was waiting for him inside.

And as he predicted, as soon as the door was closed Mingi poked his head around the corner. “Yunho! Thank god, where have you been? I’ve been calling you all morning.”

“Sorry, my phone must have died…” Yunho mumbled. He debated just pushing past his friend and locking himself in his room, but there was no way Mingi would allow that.

“What happened?” Mingi’s voice dropped, filled with concern, and he walked forward.

Yunho could feel himself starting to shake. “Min… I d-did a t-terrible thing…”

“Come on, come sit.” Mingi grabbed his hand and pulled him into the living room. Hongjoong was already there and patting the couch.

They sat on either side of Yunho, both wrapping an arm around him and rubbing his back, while he recounted what he could remember of the night before. Neither spoke or asked questions, but they would lean closer to Yunho and put more pressure on him the further along he went.

Just that small gesture made Yunho feel so loved by his friends. They meant the world to him and he knew he’d need their support through this.

“How was Wooyoung?” Hongjoong asked after Yunho had fallen quiet for a few minutes.

“He didn’t say a word to me… He looked mortified…” Yunho whispered. He leaned forward so that his elbows were digging into his knees and he could fist his hair. “He must hate me. Joong… Did I…” His heart tightened and he sucked in a shaking breath.

“Try not to think about that.” Hongjoong whispered while running a hand gently down the back of his head. “I… I don’t know if I can really say. You were both drunk, so… it’s hard to say for sure. But you need to talk to him.”

Yunho nodded and closed his eyes. “I w-will… I just w-want to give him some time.”

“And that’s a good idea.” Mingi said. “You need some as well. Let’s get you a little something to eat and then I think you need to try and sleep some more, ok?”

“Thanks… I love you guys.”

“Everything’s going to be ok.” Hongjoong leaned over to kiss the side of his head before pulling out his phone to order some food.

Mingi helped guide Yunho down so that he could rest his head on the younger’s lap.

Now all he had to do was wait…

.

.

.

.

Wooyoung didn’t get out of bed the rest of the day, or the next, unless he had to use the bathroom. But even that became rare because he had stopped eating or drinking.

His world had spiraled into darkness.

He ignored every phone call and text, eventually turning his phone off all together.

Eventually he lost all concept of time.

At one point, there was a knock on his front door. Then several knocks. A muffled voice came from the other side, but Wooyoung was too far gone to understand them.

When his body got to the point where it was begging for some kind of nutrients, Wooyoung finally dragged himself out of bed to go buy some. He avoided as many people as he could, staying hidden in an oversized hoodie and sweatpants.

He ended up buying three boxes of pregnancy tests too, knowing he’d have to take them at some point. He made sure to purchase few enough items so he could go through a self check out, wanting to avoid the judgement that always came from a man buying pregnancy tests.

Although he was reaching the point where nothing mattered. He just felt numb… like nothing mattered anymore.

When two weeks had passed since the night of the party, during which he was pretty sure both Yunho and Hongjoong and come by to try and talk to him several times, Wooyoung was having a daily fight with himself to decide what to do if he really was pregnant.

On one hand, he was in no way ready to raise a baby… He had plans, things he wanted to do, a life he wanted to try and live. So there was always the option of getting an abortion.

Some days that was the decision he was leaning toward. He could just brush all this under the rug and pretend it never happened.

However, if he went to do that, The Home was the only place that would do it for a Carrier and he knew they wold make him stay there since he made such an egregious mistake.

And that was the last place he wanted to be.

Deep down, though… Wooyoung could never bring himself to go that route. As much as it wanted to win the battle, it wouldn’t be fair to Yunho, or the baby.

Yunho…

Wooyoung knew he needed to talk to him. He was being such a coward by hiding in his apartment, but he knew Yunho would never look at him the same way once he learned that he was a Carrier. And losing the friendship he had with Yunho scared him almost more than raising a baby he had never asked for.

What a mess he was in…

After returning home, Wooyoung set his bags on the counter and took a deep breath. The three boxes taunted him from where they were still tucked away in the plastic bag. It was like they were calling his name, telling him already that he was pregnant and that his life was about to change forever.

There was no point in continuing to guess though. Wooyoung reached in to grab the thing that would tell him if his future was changed forever.

This was it…

It was time.


	11. Chapter 11

Yunho sighted while scrolling through his long line of unanswered texts to Wooyoung. It had been almost two weeks since their ‘incident’ and he was constantly thinking about how everything had happened.

Both Mingi and Hongjoong had been amazing with their support, but had decided he needed a little break.

So here he was sitting at the bar in the café waiting for a plate of cookies to drown his sorrows in.

When Seonghwa brought them out, he leaned against the counter. “You doing ok? I haven’t seen you around here for awhile now.”

“I guess.” Yunho shrugged and shoved an entire cookie in his mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

Yunho kept chewing, uncertain if he wanted to get into the details right now or not.

The door behind him flew open and for a second Yunho thought he would be spared.

Unfortunately that was not the case.

“Yunho!” Jongho’s bright voice made him flinch a little. “Where have you been? I’ve been wanting to ask you if you’ve seen Wooyoung?”

Yunho’s heart sank at the question, even though he knew it was coming. “No… I haven’t.”

“I’m getting worried. He hasn’t shown up to class in weeks and he won’t answer my texts or calls.”

“He hasn’t?” Yunho swallowed hard and turned to face the younger. “At all?”

“No… It’s like he just vanished. Professor Kim has been asking about him too. I think he may have to drop Wooyoung from both classes.” Jongho said with a pout.

“What happened at the party?” Seonghwa asked, looking directly at Yunho. “You two just vanished after a bit.”

“Yeah, Yeosang pointed that out too.” Jongho tilted his head to the side.

The cookie that Yunho had just picked up crumbled in his hand when he clenched his fist. He let out a harsh sigh and shook his head. “Nothing major. We, uh, just left… together…”

Seonghwa gasped and placed a hand over his chest. “Yunho! How could you?”

“Hey, don’t go pinning it all on me! He as just as involved.” Anger poked at Yunho, but he did his best to keep it at bay. “We were both intoxicated.”

“Then why hasn’t he shown himself? Have you even tried to check on him?”

“Of course I have, Hwa! Who do you think you’re talking to?” Yunho slammed his hand against the counter. He could feel himself getting angrier by the minute. They were pushing him into a corner and he did not like that. “He never answered the damn door!”

Seonghwa looked taken aback for a second, then lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I just worry about him sometimes.”

Yunho ground his teeth together to keep himself from saying something he’d regret.

“Can I try?” Jongho asked quietly. “Maybe he will for me.”

“I don’t know… He wouldn’t answer for Hongjoong either.” Yunho bit the inside of his cheek and mulled over the offer. “But it’s worth a shot.”

“I’ll get some food together.” Seonghwa said quickly. “Don’t worry about your shift today, I’ll manage.”

Jongho nodded and pulled out his phone. “Will you give me his address, please?”

For a moment, Yunho wanted to back out and say no. Bombarding Wooyoung could be disastrous. But… he wasn’t going to be able to rest until he at least got some answers.

As he was typing in the address, he glanced up at Jongho. “You’ll let me know what’s going on?”

The younger nodded immediately. “Yes. Just as soon as I know.”

Once he was loaded up with a basked full of sandwiches and sweets, Jongho rushed out of the café, leaving Yunho behind to obsess and worry.

.

.

.

.

Wooyoung awoke to the sound of knocking and quickly pulled his blanket over his head.

He didn’t want to see anyone here. Never again…

The few moments during the day that he felt up to doing anything had been spent looking for places to rent in Carrier communities.

They were the only place he thought he’d be safe. At least then he would be with others like him.

But the thought of going to one felt like such a big step in the wrong direction.

Carrier communities were nothing more than a way to segregate them from the rest of the world. ‘Normal’ men and women only visited if they still had some connection with a Carrier living there, but most were left behind and forgotten.

The knocking started up again, this time a little louder.

Wooyoung considered just jumping out the window to end all the misery… that is until he heard a gentle, “Wooyoungie?”

He instantly recognized it as Jongho, who was the only person to address him that way.

“It’s me, Jongho. I’m sorry for showing up up like this but… I’ve been really worried. Please let me in.”

Wooyoung opened his eyes and studied the underside of his blanket. It was thin enough for sunlight to penetrate it, which only reminded him that he needed better drapes to black out the sun.

“Please, just talk to me.” Jongho pleaded. “I’m not leaving until you do. I’ll starve. I’ll fail my classes. I don’t care.”

Wooyoung’s lower lip trembled. He didn’t want Jongho to do any of that… He didn’t want to be responsible for Jongho’s choices…

But would that feeling be stronger than his desire to leave without anyone knowing?

The minutes ticked by, and Wooyoung still didn’t move from his spot under the covers. He even ended up dozing off for a little bit.

When he woke up, he sighed and finally rolled out of bed, spurred on by the urge to use the bathroom. He stayed in there longer than was probably necessary, but what did he care? He didn’t have anything he needed to do.

Although his eyes did drift over to the drawer under his sink…

Wooyoung shook his head and finished up before hurrying to his kitchen to get some water. He couldn’t let his mind wander.

Which was hard to do when he noticed a piece of paper on the floor in front of his door. His curiosity peaked, he slowly walked over to pick it up.

‘Package in front office. Must sign for it to be released.’

A package? Who would send him a package?

Wooyoung scrunched his nose. The only thing he could think of was someone from his old school, but that didn’t make sense.

He glanced down at his fox pajama pants and debated going to change, but he was passed the point of caring, so he grabbed his keys from the bowl by the door and unlocked the deadbolt to step outside.

And immediately froze.

Jongho was sitting against the opposite wall scrolling through his phone. He looked up as soon as the door opened and cried out. “Wooyoung! Thank god!”

The older had half a mind to slam the door and pretend this never happened, but he was too stunned to do anything. He never thought Jongho would actually wait for him to open the door…

“Woo…” Jongho stood up and stepped forward. “What happened?”

What was he supposed to say? Jongho had been the first friend he made here… and if he were to learn the truth…

He watched as Jongho bent over slowly to pick up a basket. “May I come in? I have a present for you from the café. Seonghwa made it for you.”

Wooyoung had to admit that some cookies did sound good… His eyes fell to his feet and he stepped aside.

Jongho walked inside quickly, not about to give Wooyoung the chance to change his mind, and slipped his shoes off before walking over to the kitchen counter to set the basket down.

Shame was the first thing that came to mind when Wooyoung watched Jongho look around his apartment. He had done nothing to keep up with cleaning, which was very easily seen by the stack of dishes his sink.

But the younger pointed none of it out. He simply turned to face Wooyoung, his face scrunched in concern.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” Wooyoung grabbed his left bicep with his right hand and looked to the side.

“Anything. I’ve been worried about you. Why did you stop coming to class? Why have you been ignoring me?”

“You wouldn’t understand…” Wooyoung squeezed his arm to try and keep himself from shaking.

“How can you say that if you don’t even give me the chance? I thought we were friends?”

The wounded tone of Jongho’s voice stabbed Wooyoung like a knife. He hated it… His knees started to tremble and he let them give out, slowly sinking to the floor.

Jongho’s soft footsteps assaulted his ears, making Wooyoung want to flee from the boy… flee from the truth… flee from the pain he was about to bring upon himself.

But when Jongho pulled him into a hug, he flung his arms around the younger’s neck and gave into the body wracking sobs that were torn from his throat.

With all the crying he had done over the past few weeks, Wooyoung was surprised he even had any tears left, but here they were, soaking into Jongho’s shirt.

“Shhh, take a deep breath. I promise, whatever happened, I’m here for you.”

.

.

.

.

“Yunho. Try to calm down.” Seonghwa said gently while leaning over to place a hand on his leg.

It had been bouncing almost continuously since Jongho had left a few hours ago.

There was still no word from him and Yunho was about ready to pull his hair out.

“Yunho.”

“What?” He snapped and jerked his head to the side to glare at the baker.

Seonghwa didn’t even flinch. He kept his face calm and collected as he watched Yunho like a hawk. “If you’re this worked up, then just go over there! With how you’re acting, I’d say you like him or something.”

Yunho scoffed and shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. We are just friends who made a very big mistake…”

“Don’t you dare use that word around Wooyoung if he decides to talk to you. Whatever happened is effecting him different than you.”

“No shit, Seonghwa.”

The older stood up straight and narrowed his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something, but started to turn away instead.

Yunho groaned and reached out to stop him, but then his phone buzzed on the counter. Seonghwa spun around with wide eyes and watched as Yunho snatched it up.

‘Get here now.’

Those three words burned Yunho’s eyes and he started shaking his head while covering his mouth.

“Go. Go.” Seonghwa urged, pushing him out of the chair.

Yunho started to run from the café, but then stopped and turned to hug his friend. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, I promise.” Seonghwa squeezed him back, then pushed him away. “Go!”

Without another word, Yunho ran from the café and all the way to Wooyoung’s apartment building, up the stairs, and right up to his front door.

His shoulders heaved with how hard he was breathing and he did what he could to slow his racing heart.

Then he knocked twice before slowly opening the door.

He peered inside to find Wooyoung cradled in Jongho’s arms. Both were sitting on the floor and rocking back and forth in a gentle, swaying motion.

“Youngie?” Yunho’s voice caught in his throat and he cleared it with a couple of soft grunts.

He didn’t fail to notice how Wooyoung’s entire body grew stiff when he spoke. Jongho looked up too with pain filled eyes.

“It’s ok.” The youngest whispered, leaning back so he could tilt his head down and look at the boy in his arms. “Just tell him. I won’t speak a word of this to anyone, I promise.”

Wooyoung sniffed and slowly twisted out of Jongho’s grip so that he was sitting on his own, leaning against the bed.

Jongho stood and walked over to Yunho. He pressed his lips together until they turned white, then stepped around him to pick up his shoes and closed the front door behind him.

Confused was one of the many words bouncing around Yunho’s mind. Scared was another. Wooyoung looked so small, curled in on himself with his knees pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around them.

Yunho took a few steps forward and sank to the ground so he was kneeling about a meter away. “Youngie? Please… I- I don’t know… Do you hate me because of what happened? It’s all I can think about and I know it was my fault and I-“

“It wasn’t your fault.” Wooyoung said, his voice thick from crying. Yunho noticed that his eyes were puffy and red as well.

“Wh… What?”

“It wasn’t your fault. It was mine…” Wooyoung turned his head to the side so he could rest his cheek on his knees.

“No, you can’t take all the blame.” Yunho made a move to get closer but stopped when Wooyoung tried to pull his knees closer to his chest. “Please, Youngie, just talk to me. We’ve always been able to talk.”

“Yeah, we could… before everything changed.” A hint of hatred had entered the younger’s voice. For a second Yunho thought it was directed at him, but he could practically feel the wall Wooyoung had thrown up around himself.

“What are you talking about?”

Wooyoung closed his eyes and sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Then he unfolded himself and stood up. At first, Yunho wanted to talk or say something, but he stayed where he was and watched as Wooyoung walked over to his bathroom.

He could feel his heart pounding in his head. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, but Yunho couldn’t even begin to guess what it was.

For Wooyoung to blame himself for that night… did that mean Yunho didn’t take advantage of him like he had feared? Or was it just guilt forcing Wooyoung to think that way?

Whatever it was, nothing prepared Yunho for what was about to happen.

Wooyoung reappeared and walked straight to him, then held out his hand.

Yunho accepted whatever it was and looked down. “What is this?” The second the question left his lips he knew it was a dumb one. He was staring at a pregnancy test, but what he didn’t understand was why Wooyoung had one.

“This is why the other night was my fault.” Wooyoung’s voice was low and monotone. Each syllable was accented in a way that Yunho could tell he hated them.

The older looked up and felt his mouth open a little, but no words came out.

And he feared no more words would when his entire world froze at the next two words that came from the boy standing in front of him.

“I’m pregnant.”


	12. Chapter 12

Yunho eventually fell asleep with his head on Mingi’s lap once he said everything he felt was relevant to the current situation. Which was everything directly involving him. He didn’t dare tell them about what happened to Wooyoung at their foster home, so he changed the story to it was just discovered he was a Carrier.

At first Mingi had the same mindset Yunho had had while listening to the story. There was no way this could be true.

But Hongjoong was of a different mindset. He spent a long time sitting in his chair staring at the floor. Not once did he try to interrupt Yunho or ask him to repeat anything.

When Yunho was finished, his eyes were nearly swollen shut and his hair was disheveled from how many times he had grabbed it and messed with it. Mingi was quick to pull him close and helped him settle down across his lap before trying to soothe him by rubbing his head.

“It just doesn’t make sense. Why would he hide this from you?” Mingi asked. “You made it sound like you two were so close…”

Before Yunho to speak, Hongjoong leaned forward and said, “I can see it. I believe what Wooyoung is saying.”

“What?” Mingi rounded on him. His legs tensed as if he were about to stand up, but instead he balled his hand into a fist on top of Yunho’s side.

“Think about it, Min, he was quiet and jumpy when we met him. And when I went to his apartment, he was reserved and didn’t want to talk about many things. He left so suddenly and then just reappeared? No wonder he seems so closed off.” Hongjoong spoke gently. “You need to decide what you’re going to do about this Yunho.”

“What do you mean?” Yunho lifted his head off Mingi’s lap.

“Well, this is your child, right? Pardon me for expressing my opinion, but are you going to do the right thing and do whatever you can to help Wooyoung? And right now I just mean supporting him in whatever way he needs right now.”

“Of course I’m going to support him! What kind of person do you think I am?” Yunho growled.

“I’m just saying, this is going to effect him more than you in the coming months.” Hongjoong crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, obviously pulling rank over Yunho, who shrank back into Mingi’s lap. “Did he say if he’s thought about what he wants to do with it?”

Yunho pursed his lips at the thought. “He was thinking about getting an abortion and just leaving me a note telling me what happened.”

Hongjoong hummed and rapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. “I’m sorry to hear that. I am glad for your sake that you found out about this before that happened because that wouldn’t have been fair to you. But… are you going to stop him from getting an abortion?”

“I don’t know…” Yunho closed his eyes. “This is all happening so fast. I feel sick…”

Mingi resumed rubbing his head in a gentle manner. “It’s going to be alright. We are here to help you.”

“And Wooyoung.” Hongjoong added. “We will help him too, but you and him need to sit down and have a long talk. Do you think you’re ready to raise a baby?”

Yunho knew that question was coming… and he had no idea how to answer it. He hadn’t imagined having kids for several years, or at least not until after he had graduated and had a career set up so he could support a family. Which he had always wanted a family, more than anything else. He loved kids and he wanted to make sure to give his children the life he’d never had until he met the Yeo’s.

But could he do that now? When he still had almost four years of school left and no job or income? Let alone a good place for the baby to live…

No other words were spoken between the three of them before he ended up falling asleep. And when he awoke they were all in the same exact position.

Hongjoong was curled up in his chair, his head hanging off the side a little and mouth slightly open, while Mingi’s head was laying over the back of the couch.

Yunho slowly sat up so as not to disturb him and walked quietly to his bathroom where he shut the door. He kept the lights off for now, not wanting to see how horrible he must look. Which he knew was a selfish thought because Wooyoung had looked much worse last night…

When his thoughts traveled to the younger he instantly started crying again.

What was he supposed to do? This was all too much for him to handle.

What if he was a bad father?

The second he had that thought travel across his mind, Yunho knew his answer to Hongjoong’s question from the night before.

If he was worried about being a good father, then that meant he wanted to be one. His heart instantly told him that was true.

Yunho yanked open the bathroom door and grabbed his keys before running from the apartment and all the way to Wooyoung’s.

When he got there, his shoulders were heaving and he could barely suck in enough oxygen to keep himself going, but he managed to knock on the younger’s door several times.

It took a minute, but Wooyoung opened the door sporting heavy eyelids and, admittedly, an adorable mop of bedhead. “Yunho?” He said with a heavy voice that fought to keep away a yawn. “It’s five in the morning…”

God the cute little whine to his voice had Yunho wanting to pull him into a hug, just like when they were kids. “Sorry, I didn’t realize… but… may I come in?”

Wooyoung started rub his right eye at the same time he nodded and made a small sound with the back of his throat. He stepped aside and allowed Yunho to come inside.

The older bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited for Wooyoung to shut to door and come join him by his kitchen counter.

It was a slow process though. Wooyoung shuffled through his apartment, sliding his sock covered feet along the floor. “Wha… What are you doing here?”

Yunho cringed, realizing this was probably a bad idea and he should have called first, but it was too late now. “I’m sorry to come unannounced like this…” He watched as Wooyoung moved to sit on the end of his bed to look up at him with large, sleepy eyes. “I- I wanted to talk.”

Wooyoung’s shoulders fell a little, but he nodded. “Yeah, we probably should.”

Biting his lip, Yunho walked forward so that he could kneel in front of his friend. Then he slowly reached forward to take both of Wooyoung’s hands in his own. “What you told me yesterday is big news, and… I know it’s a lot for us to process and have to think about. But I do know one thing. I don’t want you to leave again, Wooyoung. I… I want to do this.”

Wooyoung opened his mouth to speak and started to pull his hands away, but Yunho just tightened his grip so that he couldn’t.

“This isn’t what either of us planned. We were both foolish, and how we have to deal with the consequences. Life is unpredictable, I know you know that better than anyone. And while it may be a little out of order for me, I’ve always wanted a family.” His voice had grown softer as he spoke.

“Yunho…” Wooyoung turned his head away and once more tried to pull his hands free.

“I know you’re scared. But I’ve always done my best to protect you, right? And it’s something I had promised to do when we were younger. I know we aren’t… together, or anything, but I know if we at least work together we can give the baby… our baby… a good life.”

“But how are we supposed to do that?” Wooyoung shook his head but kept it turned away. “Neither of us have a job.”

“So we can get one.”

“We are both in school.”

“There are day cares.”

“And the biggest one. I’m a Carrier.”

“So?”

Wooyoung’s head whipped around and he glared at Yunho. “What do you mean ‘so’? You have NO idea what any of this means! I will be a laughing stock at school! The others will start to hate me and make fun of me, shops will start turning me away, I-“

“I don’t care that you’re a Carrier, Wooyoung.” Yunho cut him off and pulled Wooyoung to the floor with him, then wrapped his arms around the boy and guided his head into the crook of his neck. “You’re still the same person I knew. I could see it when working together in the diner.”

He could feel his shirt growing damp as he spoke even though Wooyoung stayed limp in his embrace.

“And… if the others can’t except you for who you are, then it’s their loss, not yours.” Yunho whispered. “And you have a support system already, if you think about it.”

“Who?” Wooyoung asked in a tiny voice.

“Well, please don’t be upset with me, but Hongjoong and Mingi know. I didn’t tell them everything, I promise, but they know about what happened with us. And I’m guessing Jongho knows?” He felt a small nod. “Jongho is a good person, so I’m sure you already have his support. Same with Seonghwa, if you decide to tell him.”

Wooyoung sniffed and pulled away from Yunho to wipe his eyes. “I d-don’t know if-f I can do this. I’m s-scared.”

“I know. I am too. But do you trust me?” Yunho gently grabbed Wooyoung’s chin to tilt his head back. The younger looked at him round eyes and nodded once more. A small smile crept onto Yunho’s face and he leaned forward to kiss Wooyoung’s forehead. “We will get through this, together.”

They stayed on the floor for several minutes, during which Wooyoung started to doze off against Yunho’s shoulder. He quickly lifted the younger up and tucked him back into bed before seeing himself out.

When he pulled out his phone, he noticed he had been at Wooyoung’s for little over an hour. He also had several missed calls from Mingi, to which he responded by sending a quick text letting him know that he was ok.

Instead of going home, Yunho took a detour to a local bookstore. He was determined to prove to Wooyoung, and himself if he was being honest, that he could do this.

The store didn’t open for another hour, so he waited patiently out front. It was nice to be alone with his thoughts for awhile. And he couldn’t help but smile when one thought kept pushing its way to the front.

He was going to be a father.

He loved kids so much, and now he was going to have one of his own.

Once the store opened, he hurried inside and started looking through the parenting section to see what kind of things he may need to do to help Wooyoung.

There were so many choices it was almost overwhelming. Yunho ended up just standing in front of one bookshelf with his mouth open and arms lifted up in front of him.

“Yunho?”

He jumped at the sound of his name and turned to his left to see Jongho standing at the end of the isle holding some cookbooks. “Oh! Hey.” His hands dropped to his side and Yunho shuffled nervously.

Jongho’s eyes flicked to the section they were in and froze. “How… Did you..?”

Yunho bit his lip and sighed. “We talked. He is ok. We, um.”

“Is he going to be ok?”

“I think so. But he will need support.” Yunho looked down at the ground. “He’s scared.”

“I know he is. What are you going to do about this?” There was a defensive tone to Jongho’s voice. It was reassuring to hear, though, as odd as that thought was. Yunho knew he was correct earlier when he had told Wooyoung that Jongho would help him.

“I’m going to be there with him every step of the way. I promise.”

Jongho nodded, then pulled out a book from the middle of his stack to hand to Yunho. “Here, you may need this more than I do,” He said before walking away.

Yunho watched him leave, feeling slightly confused, before glancing down at the book.

It was one about Carriers living in today’s society.

At first Yunho felt slightly insulted at the idea of there being a book like this, but then he took a moment to think about how scared Wooyoung was.

Maybe it would be a good idea for him to do some research on that as well.

He ended up leaving the store with the Carrier book and two parenting books, which earned him some questioning looks from the older woman who checked him out.

That didn’t matter. Yunho knew he was doing the right thing and he couldn’t wait to start planning.

There was a skip to his step as he waled home.

Things were going to work out, he just knew it.


End file.
